Not Strong Enough
by Yandere Shoujo
Summary: Entering your dream world wasn't exactly the dream it was hyped up to be. Especially when there was no way to get out. NO pairings.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: I think I'm warming up to writing. This is a piece inspired by _Speedy Thing Goes In_ by Vheeri the Succubus. It's a Bleach story.

I apologize for making this a female OC. I really want to write a male one, but I just don't know how they think, so while a girl knows when to react to something a certain way, I'm clueless as to how a guy would. Ya know? NO pairings. I never and will never write MainxOC anything. I don't like it. If you do, good for you.

Takes place several months prior to the start of the series. Like, before the Hunter exam, not when Gon met Kaito/Kite.

Update 08-16-13: I'm re-reading this to correct some flaws I find, but feel free to let me know if you see anything else wrong.

Not Strong Enough

Chapter 1

There was a certain _thing_ about anime and manga.

Depending on the universe, no matter how fake or realistic, people were usually unnaturally strong in a sense. Be it emotional or physical.

Death before their eyes? Cringe. Broken ribs? Walk it off.

Human things could not slow them down because the story needed to progress. Perhaps that's why in the daily life of a shut in, the days could seem so long. Not five months passing as though a few hours, spending the time training or what not.

This shut in was no different. She had been out going, once. A child with many friends and things to be happy about, but then the internet came along and life just broke apart.

This one wished that she was like those big breasted girls. Flawless skin, long hair that would get caught in a doorway, and a pretty, Japanese name that meant "lovely flower" or something. But of course, reality was a thing and she was just her.

No big breasts, boring brown eyes, short and dandruff dusted blonde locks, and a name that meant "bird like." Aleta. Fortunately the curse of acne had left her a period of grace and her pale with a tinge of pink skin remained clear for the most part. Unlike with the majority of fictional characters, she wasn't born with a natural eyebrow arch either. Just the "sort of" pretty girl who usually ended up with an average looking husband living in some unknown town.

Aleta frowned for the umpteenth time while looking at the most recent episode of Hunter x Hunter. The new and Mad House improved version was alright, but she really, _really_ didn't want to stop there. Having no more chapters, again, meant nothing more to read. And with nothing else left, she feared that she'd have to pick a new show. Like Bleach.

Sighing, she returned to another site to look at fan art. There seemed to be nothing else. Nothing to read, nothing to watch, just nothing more!

In the rolling chair she sat, Aleta curled up her legs and pulled her t-shirt, the only covering she had, over her knees. Suddenly feeling sleepy, she placed her head down into her arms and relaxed. Maybe dreaming of the series would be a nice distraction from what she had in front of her.

A warm breeze stirred her and Aleta looked up. It took a few moments to process, but for one, she was not in her stuffy bedroom. It was an alley; alleys were not in bedrooms unless you were homeless. The breeze hit again, gently, but enough to feel a draft below her. Where she had no pants.

Blushing, she pulled the barely one size too big shirt down as far as possible.

But wait, this was a dream right? Yeah! Dreams were crazy like that, so if she rounded the corner, she'd see other people probably naked or something.

Seeing it was her best bet, she padded her bare feet to the closest exist, and promptly cursed as something sharp impaled her foot. Gasping for air, she nearly fell over trying to inspect whatever got her. It was a now bloodied piece of green glass.

Tears in her eyes, she removed the offensive thing with a sharp tug, letting out a cry.

Ok, things were getting a bit too real. Was this one of those bad dreams where she was getting chased by someone eventually? Either way, the pain should never be that clear. In fact, the world shouldn't be this focused. Nor should the faces of a young man along with a small boy who peeked into the alley.

There was something _familiar _about the pair. The young man had short, black hair, features that clearly said "Asian", and wore casual attire; only his shirt was partially untucked. The boy on the other hand had shorter, chestnut hair with extremely thick eyebrows and wore a martial arts get up. Something familiar indeed.

"Miss, are you alright?" the young man said, concerned.

Aleta stood in stunned silence, her pain temporarily forgotten. Well, forgotten until she placed her foot down again, only for pain to flare up her leg, causing her to inhale with a hiss.

"Did something happen? You're hurt!" Wing exclaimed as he jogged forward, placing a hand on her shoulder.

Aleta's mind worked itself into overdrive, trying to process what exactly was going on. Unable to form a coherent sentence, her world went black with the fading sounds of someone calling out to her.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Been going over these chapters since I'm bored enough to re-read my own writings and wow, spell check is the devil. Would was spelled as wood. Fail.

Not Strong Enough

Chapter 2

Slowly, the world around her came into focus. However, when under a roof one did not recognize, panic tended to occur.

Where was she? What time was it? Did her mother know where she was? Did anyone know where she was? Was she in danger?

Aleta shot up, then vertigo decided that was not a good idea and she sank back down into the surface she lay on, groaning.

"I see you're awake. It's a good thing I treated that foot of yours. It could have been infected badly."

Looking over to the source of the voice, Aleta then saw that she was in a bed, a large, soft pillow obscured her vision slightly, and she moved it aside to see the man sitting in a wooden chair next to her.

Warning bells rang in her head at this.

She passed out. And the general rule of sleep was that when you fall unconscious, you wake up. Why was she still dreaming? Unless she had woken up and couldn't remember it. A dull throb from her foot, as clear as day, was enough indication things were a bit too real. Almost to creepy levels.

"You were out cold for a little while, I'd say about an hour and a half. How do you feel?"

Words still couldn't properly form on her tongue.

"Er, can you talk?" the suspiciously familiar man asked.

Aleta nodded.

"Well then, I'm-"

"Wing." Aleta blurted out.

Wing looked taken aback.

"You've heard of me?"

"I…yes.. I-I mean. I. I-uh. I have. A-and Zushi is here, isn't he?" Aleta bumbled out. Her voice a bit hoarse, she cringed and cleared her throat.

"Here have some water." Wing offered.

Getting up slower than before, Aleta accepted and tried to speak properly this time.

"You're Wing. And, uh, Zushi… is your student. I know, but, this…You're not real." She said with much more confidence.

The man raised an eyebrow.

"Not real?"

"None of this is. It's a dream. So now that I'm self aware, I should wake up. All I gotta do is sleep, or die which wouldn't be that great, and I wake up. Wow, so this is what you'd look like non animated. Kinda weird… oh well, nice meeting you!"

Aleta closed her eyes, laid back, and concentrated on the darkness. And concentrated. And nothing happened.

"Er… Miss?"

Aleta opened one eye nervously.

"Why am I still here?" she squeaked.

Wing chuckled softly.

"You're uh, not dreaming. Did you hit your head out there or something? I mean, I was worried when I saw you in such a state. Unfortunately Zushi's pants might be a bit small for you and mine would be too big. Do you have a place nearby? I could call a taxi so you won't have to go out so exposed. "

Aleta gave the other man a long look. Reaching out, she poked his cheek and flinched away when, indeed, she felt soft, warm skin.

"I'm not dreaming."

At this, Wing laughed. "Now you're getting it. Ah, what's your name by the way? I'm not sure how you feel about getting called Miss all the time."

Blinking, Aleta lay back again and stared at the plain, beige ceiling. Dream or no, she was going to just see how this played out. In the end, if she was dreaming, she would probably forget it all happened anyway.

"Aleta."

"Well then, do you have a place?"

"I… no. I just… got here."

It wasn't a lie.

"Oh? So you're staying at a hotel?"

Aleta shook her head.

"No, I mean literally just got here. No home, no mone- I mean jenni. " Aleta looked over. " I'm more off the records than someone from Meteor City."

Wing looked shocked. His friendly countenance changing from friendly to cautious. At this, a plan began to formulate in Aleta's mind. She didn't watch months worth of anime just to fall prey to something as common, by fiction standards, as popping into a new world.

There were the good characters who took others in, and the bad ones who killed you. The random people in the background did nothing, always. So it was do or die. Get the good guy on your side, or fall prey to the bad one.

"I know… about Nen."

It was as though a dead body had been found in the room. Tension, mainly from Wing, began to creep everywhere, causing Aleta to shudder. Before the other man could get a word in, she spoke again.

"But I can't use it. In fact, I think, I couldn't even try water divination. But I know you're an Enhancer. Biscuit Krueger was your teacher, and Zushi is your student. "

"And just how do you know all of this?" Wing asked icily.

It was a tone Aleta had never heard from a person before. Sure she made others mad from time to time, but their heated responses could never intimidate her. Perhaps this was a bad idea? No! She had to keep going. Either she make this dream but not a dream as fun as possible or wake up and forget it all.

"I'm psychic." She lied.

"You're lying."

Damn.

"W-well. I just know these things! Though… I admit there are some things I don't know. Like your favorite color or snack. But I know the important things. I'm not gonna do anything bad. I just…" _need to survive long enough so I can wake up._"…need help to survive."

Wing studied her under a steady gaze.

"If you don't believe me. Then tie a nen infused thread on my pinky. You can name the terms. But if I go against them, you should know when it'll break, right?" Aleta sat up fully, giving Wing a pleading stare. It was hard to hold that gaze, but she couldn't back down. It didn't help that her senses noticed just how cute he was.

Finally, Wing nodded and retrieved a string from his pocket.

"Alright, though you must promise not to attempt to harm Zushi or I. You will also do as I say, and if you can't keep up, then I'll just have to let you go. If you know so much, you should be aware of who and how I teach."

"I promise."

The man nodded as he tied the string in a criss-crossed fashion. In a way, the blue thread looked nice.

"However, you won't be living here for free. You will train, clean, and earn your stay. Do you understand?" Wing said, completely serious.

"Yeah. I understand." Aleta agreed, trying to hide the uncertainty in her voice.

"Good. It's mid day, so the stores are still open. For now you're going to need some clothes… and…" Wing looked down."I can't exactly shop for you. So I'll let you borrow a pair of pants. I'll give you the money, and Zushi will guide you through the city. You will get what you _need,_ and return."

"Sure!" Aleta smiled.

It looks like this dream or whatever was actually going to work out!


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: The reason I post multiple chapters is because I like to get all my ideas out the way, correct inconsistencies, and have a higher word count. If you see the latest chapter of something, chances are I won't continue for a bit.

Not Strong Enough

Chapter 3

Things were not working out.

It was through fear and adrenaline did Aleta prevent that thread from breaking. Sure, she never had any intent to harm Zushi or Wing; it was getting jobs done that was hard. They were both surprising clean for a young man and a little boy, but her back was still sore from being hunched over, cleaning so much.

Zushi often helped, he was such a sweet boy. Had Aleta been older than seventeen, she would have gladly adopted someone like him. Since apparently little kids were like adults right after they stopped drinking from sippy cups, he was actually easy to deal with. Wing on the other hand…

"Straighten your back, legs apart. More!"

Aleta could feel the tears threatening to prickle her eyes as she strained to keep her "horse" position. The aches from lifting weights, stretching, and getting punched in the gut by Zushi were taking their toll. It had only been a week, and she felt like she was dying.

Now, aside from Inception, the longest dreams Aleta could recall were at most a day or two. But never, ever a week with the sensations of hunger, pain, and irritation so strong. Her foot was healing nicely, though still scarred. It made standing in the bow legged position even harder.

She grit her teeth as Wing whacked her side, forcing her to move her upper body an inch to the right.

"Good, now, I want to see your punches. On the count of 3… 1...2...3!"

At first, it had been embarrassing calling out so loudly just to throw a punch. But Zushi did it along with her just fine. That eased her mind, though in the back of it she recalled how martial artists generally acted like assholes in movies. Now she could see why. They probably had people like Wing as a teacher! It was like he flipped from hot to cold in a matter of instants.

One hundred punches later and Aleta was ready to curl into a ball, cry, and tell everyone in the room to go away. But no, it wasn't over. Now came the kicks. Then there would be working out, running, cooking, cleaning, meditation, and then _finally_ sleep.

She could already taste the metallic acid from strain on her tongue.

Aleta really, really didn't like her situation. Her showers couldn't extend 10 minutes, she did agree to only get the things she needed, and a razor was not included. Nor the nice smelling shampoo or anything that made her feel pretty. Zushi made sure of that, instructing her to get the cheaper, but efficient soaps. Though he couldn't judge her when it came to the 'feminine' items to which he was clueless and slightly embarrassed about.

However, Zushi remained over determined, being Aleta's little light of hope at the end of a tunnel. It was weird, being over ten years older than someone and having to rely on them. When Wing was asleep, he would sneak over to her and give her a massage to ease the aches. When working out, he'd be the one to smile at her, encouraging Aleta to keep up with his sit ups.

So there she was. Trying her best to keep up with Zushi as they ran around the hot streets of *Noroco. Sweat covered large portions of the large white t-shirt she wore with a white cloth wrapped around the waist and white shorts since they couldn't find a gi for her.

Fearing that the string would break, lest she drop dead, Aleta ran until her stomach wouldn't allow it anymore. Clutching a nearby lamp post, she deposited her small breakfasts' remains in a convenient garbage bin nearby. The few people milling about cast worried or disgusted looks.

"Zushi! Keep going!" Wing yelled to his other student and the boy nodded, leaving them behind.

Wing crossed his arms and waited for the girl to finish.

"I-" she wheezed. "I…"

"Can you continue?" he asked, voice devoid of his usual friendliness.

Unable to speak, Aleta nodded, spraying drops of sweat from her soaked hair.

"Here."

When she looked up, Wing was holding out a small bottle of water.

"Thank… you." Aleta breathed. Not wasting any time, she near ripped the thing open as only a swallow went down her throat and the rest over her head.

The following breeze was relaxing enough for her to just want to sleep right there on the side walk. But, that fear kicked in, and she begrudgingly started to run again. She was sure to have blisters on her feet soon.

Finally, as the day ended, like most days, she was instantly asleep on her bundle of sheets and a pillow. Wing's home only had two bedrooms, so she slept in the living room on the floor. Comfort didn't matter when you were so in pain that merely laying down sent you to sleep.

* * *

*Noroco: Since, according to the Wiki, the Republic of Padokea is the equivalent of North Africa, I went with an altered Morocco. Same will go with all unnamed locations depending on its based country or continent.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: And thus, my prologue-ish chapters are coming to an end. I thought it'd be too much of a hassle to focus on every single day or week with Aleta, Wing, and Zushi. I took Tae Kwon Do myself, and it was _not_ like those martial art movie montages. In fact, even those just go from month to month, only showing bits of progress and never the whole thing. I spent most of my time getting kicked in the stomach, chipping a nail, or on the verge of tears.

Not Strong Enough

Chapter 4

The Hunter exam. Flashes of the things Gon had to go through raced through Aleta's mind as she experienced it herself in an out of body experience. This was cut short by the sudden awareness of her surroundings and something told her she needed to get up.

Opening her dark chocolate eyes, hazel from sunlight, she was met with the sight of Wing, sitting in a chair away from her and glaring. Her heart raced as she felt like a deer in headlights. Her imminent demise keeping her rooted to the spot.

It faded as quickly as it came, leaving her shaking.

"You felt it?" Wing asked.

Oh, right. Nen.

"Y-yeah. You used killing intent didn't you? Not a lot, but enough for me to notice or something."

Wing smiled.

"Indeed."

A very long time had passed, and Aleta could finally admit that she was not dreaming. Dreams didn't last more than two months. Ever. She missed her mother. Missed her computer. Missed her fr- no wait, she didn't have friends. Just the few students at school who understood her oddness and didn't make fun of her. Still, homesickness was not a pleasant feeling.

She rubbed the sleep from her eyes with less than dainty hands. Her fingers had hardened considerably, and though she still had a girly face, her frame was more muscular. A six pack had already formed, and her short hair managed to grow over her shoulders. And nearly down her back. She would need to get a haircut soon. Long hair wasn't as pleasant as it seemed when you were limited to short showers and couldn't wash your hair properly. She kept it in a bun, surprisingly done by Wing, but the novelty wore off quickly than she anticipated.

"I'm going to start teaching Zushi about Nen. However, you know just about everything. Yet, you do not know how to manifest it still, correct?"

"Yes." Aleta confirmed with a nod.

"You will learn alongside him. However, you are not to speak a word about it. Is that clear?"

"Osu!" It had taken her a long while to get used to saying that.

"Good. Now, get to breakfast."

"Osu." Aleta said with less fervor.

The meditation they had been doing beforehand could not compare to this. It was like going from splashing in a backyard pool to swimming in the middle of a lake. What only took an hour went on for over five. It was frustrating trying not to break concentration, the same went for Zushi.

They had both been given a lesson on Nen and different types. For the millionth time, Aleta forced herself not to glomp the little boy next to her because of how cute he looked when excited. Determined to please his Master, Zushi sucked up every word like Shizuku's vacuum. Aleta herself listened for the sake of an update. She wouldn't want to be like Leorio and get her 'ens' mixed up.

A while later, both youths sat with their legs crossed, trying to focus on their aura. For Aleta, it was a matter of getting distracted.

The very thought of nen brought up more thoughts of the fact that she was here trying to learn it. Then there came images of Gon, and how he was doing. Then the Hunter exam. There was no way she'd pass it, given the circumstances, she could assume the one she knew of didn't take place yet. At the rate she was progressing, much to her surprise, she could easily pass the running. But then there came the Swindler's Swamp. And Hisoka. And Illumi. And the fact she didn't know how to make sushi. Nor was she fast enough yet to even think of fighting any of those who would make the final stage. Well, maybe Pokkle or Leorio. But the trained ninja, professional assassin, or other freakishly strong people? Not so much.

Then again, if she could get the hand of nen, then maybe she could have an advantage. What would her nen type be anyway? She wasn't conjurer material, that much was for sure. Nor an enhancer since she didn't think of herself as _that _simple minded. A transmuter then? Well, she didn't lie a lot unless she _had_ to. But-

A gasp of surprise forced her to blink.

Wing was staring at her again, this time with a look of slight shock. Zushi looked over as well.

"Um, did I do something wrong?"

The man shook his head.

"No, far from it. Keep meditating."

After taking a quick glance to each other, Aleta and Zushi closed their eyes once more and focused on trying to build their own powerful aura.


	5. Chapter 5

Not Strong Enough

Chapter 5

Aleta couldn't believe it.

"Use your left foot! Faster!"

It was nearing six long months of torturous training, and that blue thread was still on her pinky.

When sparring, she could now keep up with the smaller boy. When running, they were side by side. They preformed their exercises and weight lifting in unison. And finally, though still unbelievable, she could manifest her aura.

She wasn't sure if she could manage gyo or hatsu, but it was still something most people of this world couldn't do. Oh, that was right, her birthday was tomorrow, and the Hunter exam would take place next month.

Almost eighteen and that homesickness never left. Though, funnily enough, all those 'school smarts' meant nothing in a world where if you were strong, you could be as rich and stupid as you wanted. Despite getting a haircut, courtesy of Wing, her hair was long once more. This time nearly at her waist. She kept it in a braid, though she still wouldn't mind it being short.

It was ironic. She got the anime hair down, but all her femininity was nearly gone. Formerly dainty hands and feet were calloused and meant for punching. Her skinny frame was still thin, only she had hardened muscles . There was no more acne either, it was no wonder everyone's skin was perfect. The foods of this world were all more natural, and gave her a healthy complexion.

The former itch of hairy skin no longer bothered her either. Though she still would have liked to see her legs free from the blonde fuzz covering them.

Zushi leaped and threw a punched aimed at her nose, without a moments delay, Aleta dodged. She made a move to punch the boy in his stomach, but he blocked with his leg and kicked with the other. Dodging by less than an inch, Aleta grabbed the boy and flipped him sideways. Sending him spinning to the ground.

Before Zushi could get up, her fist was in his face as Aleta kneeled down. For the first time, she had won in a spar.

Behind her, Wing clapped slowly. Blushing slightly at the praise, Aleta reached down and helped her companion up. Wing and Zushi had become something of a family to her. Zushi was like a son, and a younger brother. Wing, though she wished he could be more, was like a mentor, and the father she never got to have.

"Well done Aleta. I'm very impressed."

Smiling, the girl turned and bowed. "Osu!"

"It's been a long day. How about you both take a break and we can resume tomorrow." Wing offered, that gentle smile Aleta had begun to praise on his face.

"Um, actually…" she began.

"Hmm?"

"Well. I was wondering… would it be alright if I took the Hunter exam? It's a month away after all-and I…. I really want to take it!"Aleta said with gleaming eyes. She was serious, and hoping.

Wing looked to her with not quite surprise, but curiosity.

"Oh? Why's that?"

The girl looked down for a moment then back up.

"It's… about what happened when we first met. How I just arrived. It's part of the reason I am here, I think. And I think that it will help me get back, or at least, give me clues. I miss…" her breath hitched. Forcing herself to calm down, Aleta spoke again. "I miss my mom. And my home."

Zushi looked up to her, concerned, then to Wing. The older man gave him a small glance of acknowledgment.

"But. But I… plan to return. Please. If it's alright with you, let me take the Hunter exam."

Things went quiet for a good, long minute, then Wing spoke.

"Alright. However, since it is a month away, you will still need more training. I'm sure you know the dangers of it, yes?"

"I do." Aleta answered without hesitation.

"If you understand, then I'll allow it. Now," Wing broke out into another smile. "go take a break."

"Osu!" Aleta and Zushi said in unison.

Thirty minutes later, the two students found their way to a park, vanilla ice cream cones at hand.

"I'm really impressed Aleta. You actually beat me today!" Zushi said after a few licks from his own cone.

"Yeah. I really have come a long way. When we first met I couldn't even run a few blocks."

Aleta raised her left hand to look at the still intact thread on her pinky.

"You've even gotten so much stronger, and faster. I've never seen a lady with muscles like yours though. It's so cool."

The girl laughed.

"You think so?"

"Mhmm." Zushi took another lick of his ice cream. "I see other ladies exercising here too, for Heaven's Arena, but they never have muscles like that. They're usually skinny and stuff."

Aleta thought back to the paper thin women who jogged in her neighborhood. Working out daily, but they still looked like they couldn't make a dent in aluminum foil.

"I guess so. Hey, you want to know something?"

"Mmm?"

Purposely keeping the suspense, Aleta ate the melting bits of ice cream from her cone first.

"Tomorrows my birthday. I'll be 18."

"Eh? You'll be an adult!"

The blonde laughed. "Not exactly. By some legal rules sure. But after hanging around you and Wing I think I'll still be a kid."

Both Zushi and Aleta laughed.

Looking up, and taking care not to let all their ice cream melt, they observed the night sky. Heaven's Arena stood out, the red lights shining like little red stars themselves. Soon, Zushi would be in that building as well as Gon, Killua, and Hisoka. It would be convenient to enter herself. With her strength, she was sure to make it past the fifties and make good money. Though she also figured she could take many paths if the Exam couldn't lead to her somehow getting back home.

The Spiders were Kurapika's business. After seeing him quietly sitting amongst his clan's eyes, there was no way she'd mess with that. Leorio had his medical studies to focus on. Killua would end up protecting his little brother, though until a true translation came out, Aleta wasn't sure what gender it was.

Then again she could just ask. However, it would disrupt the flow of things by a land slide, and she'd much rather have the comfort of knowing exactly what would happen when it happened.

Finally, there was Gon. After what Aleta liked to call the "North Korea" arc, he would meet his dad and the story would keep going from there. She'd know exactly where he would be, however, it was a matter of time.

Looking over to Zushi, she watched with adoring eyes as he unconsciously got a bit of vanilla on the side of his mouth. Well, it would be awhile, but she'd gladly train with the boy for awhile longer.

Said boy blinked in surprise when Aleta took the displaced ice cream with her finger and ate it herself. Yes, she could definitely spend more time with them.


	6. Chapter 6

Not Strong Enough

Chapter 6

Darkness met Aleta's eyes as she sat up, fully rested. She was leaving today to head for the exam. She didn't have much packed in her duffle bag. Just her feminine products, a few spare sets of underwear and even fewer of clothes. A bottle of water, enough jenni to buy a small meal, and other essentials. She was set.

The sun hadn't risen yet, but she chose to get the earliest start as possible. An air ship would take her to a small city, and from there, Dole Island.

"He's going to miss you."

Aleta flinched, still not appreciating how he managed to sneak up on her when she woke up. Perhaps using Zetsu.

In the darkness, Aleta could make out Wing, sitting off to the side, smiling.

"Yeah, I'll miss both of you. But I'm sure, if I pass, I'll be back soon enough."

"If?"

"When." Aleta corrected herself with a smile.

They remained in silence a moment longer.

"You should get showered and go. A little breakfast to go is in the kitchen."

"Osu!" Aleta said, doing her best to remain quiet.

Once again, surprise hit her today as she stepped into the small bathroom. On the ledge where they usually kept their soaps, a cheap looking razor sat. Aleta couldn't help but to smile and blush at the same time.

Feeling fresher than she had in months, Aleta stepped into the kitchen, only to find Zushi at the table, his head in his hands and smiling. The breakfast was only a sandwich wrapped in plastic and a can of juice. Orange, Zushi's favorite.

"You didn't think we'd let you leave without seeing you off did you?"

Unable to keep the tears from spilling, Aleta embraced the small boy into a tight hug.

"You idiot. I'm only going to be gone for a little while."

Given his position in the chair, Zushi hugged awkwardly back.

"Well don't take too long. I might surpass you."

Laughing, Aleta let go and patted him on the head. "As if. I'll be a Hunter when I come back. Stronger than ever."

"Ok then, pinky swear that we'll both be stronger when we meet again."

The blonde grinned and lifted her wrapped pinky. "You can count on it."

The sun rose, and as it reached its peak, Aleta found herself amongst the many bodies of men, all on their way to take the Hunter exam. She could do this, she had to.

Things had been easier than expected. She knew every danger, newbie trap, and general obstacle that awaited. Unfortunately she didn't count on all the horrendous bugs from the nature surrounding her. Due to the hot weather, she only wore a loose, white belly top and white skort, but it didn't help with the mosquitoes that were after her life apparently. It'd be no good having abs if they were ruined by bites everywhere. Running like a maniac, swatting everything along the way, Aleta managed to reach that Two Choice Quiz.

It was nothing short of creepy. Seeing those children with dishelved hair, wearing gas masks making the sounds of heart beats made her feel like she was in a horror movie. Then there came the old woman. Which only made her cringe. The thing about people with missing teeth was that it was hard to look at without subconsciously licking her own.

She had been ignoring the instructions of the quiz for the most part, too focused on her surroundings. As soon as she snapped back to attention, the question came.

"Two of your loved one's have been taken hostage. One is your mother, and the other, your lover. You are only allowed to save one. Which do you choose?"

Naturally Aleta remained silent. Though the question hit her home sickness dead on. She really wanted to see her mother, her heart ached just thinking about it.

"BEEP, times up. And you have chosen not to answer." The old woman said.

Aleta nodded, keeping her eyes to the old woman's and doing her best to ignore her mouth.

The woman smiled. "You have passed. Though I am surprised. Not many make it this far. Why have you chosen to remain silent?"

"Because, there isn't any right answer."

Bobbing her large head in approval, she gestured Aleta to proceed down the hidden corridor. It was like hearing an old song play again from long ago as she explained what to do. Once on her way, Aleta wished she had roller skates or something because all the running they were expected to do was going to be more tedious than hard. Yet she jogged on anyway.

It was when it occurred to her if she really should interfere with Gon and his friends. He'd latch on to her like a puppy if she acted remotely nice, and though a huge prick, Tonpa was the guiding force that gotten rid of the right amount of Hunters. He caused problems, and in turn, episodes were made. Reluctantly, she decided to stay in the background. Though she wasn't leaving this damn exam without getting to give one of those guys a hug! Even if it was Leorio… no wait, that'd turn into sexual harassment easily.

A giggle escaped her as she neared the light at the end of the tunnel, coming to a full understanding of what people meant by tunnel vision.

Just as expected, a little boat awaited her. It was best that she got this over with. She was alone, so trying to get the magic beasts to whisk her away would be a bit tricky.

It hadn't taken more than an hour for her to get the hang of rowing and she made it to the other side in no time at all. Ignoring the warning she couldn't read, Aleta kept on.

Reading had become an odd experience. She still wasn't great at it, but she knew enough to keep her out of trouble. Writing was a whole new problem. She wrote, according to Wing after five months of learning, like a pre-schooler. It was impossibly complicated, and even writing her name was a hassle. If she could remember correctly, there hadn't been any writing whatsoever, or reading, for the exam. Aside from that fake written test scare, the only things people really needed to know were Yes, No, and their own names. Numbers were a blessing since they never changed.

So caught up in her musings, she reached the home of the Kiriko family in what seemed like minutes. She really needed to pay attention. A scream broke out from the inside and Aleta took a deep breath.

Showtime.

Running through the door way, she managed to see that last glimpse of the Kiriko before it smiled devishly and leaped out the window. It was beyond surreal. They didn't look _right_. Sure animals on Earth had all kinds of deformities or strange appearances, especially if from Australia. But that _thing _was simply un earthly with slit eyes and a humanoid form.

"P-please! You must save her! My wife! Please!" The faking man on the floor said. At this the perfect plan formed. Well, not perfect but Aleta had to pass!

"Hold on a second." She said, as cool as she allowed herself to be. "That old lady said I'd be greeted. This is a little… convenient don't you think? I know what that thing is, the Kiriko, it's a shape shifter… how do I know you're not one as well?"

The man looked surprised.

"W-what, how could you say such a thing?! My wif-"

"If I don't keep my eyes on you, you could transform. Leaving me running in an endless circle until the Exam is over. " quickly, Aleta grabbed where the man was holding his fake injury. "If you're a magic beast, you should heal up nicely if you leave the wound alone for long enough. Right? Nice set up, really believable, but that warning sign was a dead giveaway that something like this would happen. And as soon as I got here? Come on."

The man blinked then laughed. As he stood, he took on the form of a Kiriko.

"I see you've managed to see through it all then. Well it won't do you any good because I'm going to rip you to pieces!"

As the man moved to attack, Aleta figured it was a good time to try out her Nen.

"Stop." She commanded, sending a small wave of killing intent in the beasts direction. His claws stopped a millimeter short of her forehead. It was amazing how still something alive could get.

Much to her surprise, though she didn't show it, it worked.

"Oh my, you're a strong one. Smart too." The beast laughed. "You're no ordinary gal! Hey everyone! Come back!"

Within moments, the whole family had gathered outside as they introduced themselves. They were a friendly, though freaky, bunch and the same Kiriko she accused flew her to the Hunter exam site.

As they walked into the secret room, Aleta turned back and smiled.

"Thanks a bunch. I'm sure you'll meet some new, interesting rookies soon."

Smiling, the young man nodded. "Ah no problem, and I sure hope so. Be safe!"

Aleta waved and sat down as the room began to descend. In the mean time, she decided to put on the number tag she was given. Number 269. It had taken a few minutes, but she was finally let off and was faced with the largest crowd of intimidating people she had ever seen. And of course, there were the familiars.

Hanzo blabbering about being a ninja, the other generic men and women in the background, Hisoka sitting in a corner, the disguised Illumi in another, Killua unconscious of his own brothers presence and the one walking up to her, Tonpa.

Step one, get him off her case as soon and as gently as possible. There was no way she'd fall into one of his traps. Though she should have considered wearing something less noticeable. The white of her clothing stood out more than Hisoka's hair since everyone else dressed in some modest color or another.

"Another one by their self eh? Though, you don't look like the typical gal I'd say. I may not be able to buy you a drink, but here, you can have this." The fat man offered.

Aleta eyed the drink she couldn't exactly read and looked to Tonpa.

"Sorry. I don't like to be poisoned. No offense."

Well it wasn't that gentle but it would have to do. Tonpa looked shocked and Aleta was suddenly aware of the few eyes that went her way. Uh oh. She wasn't in the script to be the main star. That was Gon's job.

Well it looked like it was time for her to hide in a corner. Hisoka would surely kill her, but at least Illumi remained reserved until the final phases. Picking the current lesser of the two evils, she sat six feet away from the needle covered man.

It was odd, she could feel his nen. It was ominous, like an inky bog. Not too far above them, that one smart guy pecked away at his computer. She couldn't remember his name, if he had one, and his number made no difference because he was going to fail anyway.

An unknown amount of time passed before more applicants began to fill in, and the chattering man beside her stood and began to walk around. Bored as well, Aleta decided to meditate. She didn't fail to feel the gazes of a few. Most notably Hisoka and Illumi. Hopefully if they saw her as a nen user, they would back off. Hopefully.

What seemed like an hour passed before Gon, Kurapika, and Leorio arrived. Concentration utterly broken, it felt as though her heart were about to leap out of her chest. It was like watching celebrities stroll into a store. And Leorio was much more attractive than she expected. Kurapika looked a lot more like a girl, and Gon was still as adorable as ever. She was older, so she could adopt all of them right?

Nah. Gon had Aunt Mito, Killua had Gon, Kurapika had his tragic past, and Leorio would make a better boyfriend. Blushing at the thought, Aleta tried to make herself small against the wall, or as much as she could when she was the reverse of an ink spot on white cloth.

That's right. She had to stick to the shadows, work unnoticed, and let the plot play out.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Be warned I'm mixing the 1999 anime with everything else. So some filler plots will be included, as you will see here, but not all of them.

Not Strong Enough

Chapter 7

Just as she thought, tedious.

Keeping up with Satotz was no harder than keeping up with Zushi. If anything she was a comfortable yard away from him the whole time. She could see his curious glances from time to time, one of them being on her when they began climbing the steps to the top. It was interesting seeing him take long strides while she still ran. He had to have some powerful legs.

Aleta tried her best not to "aww", she really did, when Gon and Killua burst past the doorway before she and Satotz. But they were just so adorable. Like a puppy and a kitten. In fact, that's exactly what they were. It was an internal war as she fought to not squeal on the spot.

The Swindler's Swamp wasn't as hard as she thought it'd be either. This time she kept closer to Satotz, only two feet separating them. There was no way she'd die out here or get caught by Hisoka. Though it was proving to be complicated given the mud ruining her white shoes and the thick fog obscuring her vision nearly every time she blinked.

Fortunately they reached their destination before the mud could cake her shoes completely brown. She would have to wash them asap, but she doubted she'd get them back to their usual white. A dingy ivory at best.

As expected, the main characters arrived with her. It was also an odd experience waiting for the inevitable to happen. She knew Gon and his friends would arrive, but just sitting doing nothing was so bland. Satotz cast her another curious glance the second time that day. Maybe she should intentionally fail with the others during the cooking exam. She still had a better chance than the others aside from Hanzo. Then again she could probably get a taste of Hisoka or Killua's tasty looking cooking.

More uneventful time passed before everyone arrived and they were greeted by Menchi and Buhara. Hearing Gon behind her was just endearing. He didn't even know she existed but it was still enough to make her giggle quietly into her curled hands.

Then finally, they were instructed to make the roasted pig. Playing the dumb roll, Aleta casually strolled around, though still followed behind Gon's gang, as she pretended to look for the wanted pig. Seeing Killua willingly slide down after Gon as though it were just for fun made her face flare scarlet as she hid behind a tree. Giggling like mad, Aleta let out a quiet "Awww." once more.

Her heart couldn't handle the cute, it was going to be fatal after awhile. But the sound of the pig stampede snapped her out of it. She should snag one before the others got a chance. Facing one head on, a fifteen foot leap was all it took before bringing down an ax kick on her target's head. All that weight lifting paid off because she was able to lift the thing over her head and run back to the cooking site.

Now to actually cook the thing… she had no clue. Deciding to follow the others example, she clumsily copied everyone else and hoped it didn't fall apart. The process was no less disturbing. Sure, she saw bits and pieces of animals being roasted, but never the whole thing with its eyes attached. By the time she was finished, blood splattered all over her white clothing. Sure she was going to pass this one from Buhara, but Menchi was still going to fail her regardless. Such were the sacrifices she had to make.

Cringing as another squirt of blood got on her skort, she kept following examples from those around her until she was turning the rotisserie. It was going to take a whole gallon of bleach to get all of this out.

Just as expected, Buhara declared her dish "Delicious" and passed her.

As they made their way inside the large, indoor cooking area, Menchi explained exactly what she wanted. However, even though Aleta knew exactly what it was, the hints she gave were impossibly vague. Just like the rest of them, she fetched some fish bare handed and set to work, deciding to play around for now and make her own creation. She could hear those eager to please go ahead of her, but she decided to put her finishing touches first. It wasn't much, just the rice placed into a perfect circle with the fish packed neatly inside and sea weed minced and placed on top.

"You got a good idea, but it's still the wrong thing!" Menchi yelled to her face.

Aleta sighed. Even when expecting it, it still hurt. No wonder that one loud mouth got mad over being insulted by a Gourmet Hunter.

Returning to her station, she pretended to ponder when Hanzo finally shouted out the instructions. Oh, that was right, Killua and Hisoka got their dishes rejected. Well, it was a risk she was willing to take. Death or taste the cooking of Hisoka. Yeah, worth it as long as she ran away in time.

Temporarily abandoning her station to seek out the pond she got her fish from, she spotted the clown, sulking by himself. It was so precious it was creepy.

The dish was still steaming in the hot air. Cautiously, Aleta walked forward.

"H-Hisoka?"

The man slowly turned, his smile a little on the peeved side. Was this a bad idea? Absolutely. But she would eventually meet worse opponents t-oh who was she kidding. Hisoka _was_ the worst!

"I-uh, noticed the dish you made there. And I thought I could have it since Menchi probably wouldn't approve of it."

Hisoka raised a fine, red eyebrow. "You came here, alone, to ask to eat _my_ cooking?"

"I have." After all she was going to fail anyway, may as well lame out what was meant to happen.

"I thought you didn't accept poison." He asked playfully, but she knew the truth.

"If you wanted to get rid of rookies you'd outright kill them, not waste time preparing a meal to kill them with." Aleta said firmly.

Smirking, Hisoka pushed the plate away from him. Warily, Aleta crouched to accept. When she saw he wasn't going to lop her head off with a card, she immediately fled closer to the site and sat outside. Her heart was pounding, but at least she got her prize. Taking an abandoned spoon from the pork roasting site, she ate the dish. And it was delicious. If he wouldn't kill her in a heartbeat she'd actually stick closer to the man, he had good taste.

Meal finished, because she was actually getting hungry anyway, she went back to the cool inside. At this point, the loud mouth was already getting an earful. Well, now the blonde had another hour to waste and wondered how dangerous it was spending it near the disguised Illumi. She really wanted to see what he looked like. After all, some things didn't exactly translate well to how things looked realistically. Such as Leorio and Gon's hair being much shorter, and exaggerated features just looking a bit strange. Though Buhara was still practically a mountain. She was also surprised at her own height. She was about the same height as most of the men, though not exactly over six feet, she still towered over that Ponzu girl. Looking over to Illumi, which she would continue to call instead of the dumb name he used as a fake, he stood, chattering away. Only when they made eye contact, Aleta blushed and looked away.

Deciding it was best to let something else occupy her attention, she turned to Gon. He sat on the arm rest of the large couch as he and Leorio discussed something. It sounded like medical stuff. Eventually Killua joined in, causing Leorio to flinch in terror and Gon to tilt his head curiously. Kurapika remained impassive, and shook his head.

Before she knew it, Aleta was only a few yards away and hanging on to every word the small group said. Gon was like a magnet, once he got someone's attention they couldn't pull away, only closer than they ever expected.

Leorio and Kurapika spared her a glance or two, but said nothing. If Killua noticed, he made no indication.

Menchi returning was like someone turning off the television during a good show.

As planned by the universe, Gon was the first to try the moss. This time, her appetite got the better of her sense of self preservation and Aleta volunteered to take a bite as well. Gon handed her the spoon he just ate off of. If it were anyone else, she would have refused and called them gross. Well, anyone aside from Gon, Leorio, Kurapika, and Hisoka. The Zoldyk brothers were a wild card seeing as how they probably ate poison apples for breakfast.

Anyway, she accepted and took a bite. It was… weird.

"Well what do you think?" Leorio asked.

Suddenly nervous from the attention of everyone, Aleta stuttered.

"W-well. Um, it's really different. It's not sweet, sour, or salty. J-just weird."

"Hmph! You just don't have the refined taste buds of a Gourmet Hunter. Do you have any idea how many chefs would simply kill for half of what I got? More than you'd think." Menchi scolded.

After passing the plate back to Menchi, Aleta backed away into the background and decided to let the universe run its course once again.

The airship they rode on, fortunately, had clean bathrooms so the blonde found one and decided to wash her face. Her clothes would have to wait until they were given a sufficient amount of time to rest. She was going to be spending some time in the bathrooms during then. Even if it were only to get the basic dirt from her clothes. The shoes would have to wait a bit longer. If she made it out of Trick Tower, she'd have to put up with them being even more dirty when they had their killer camping trip. Now that she thought about it, Aleta still had that sandwich. She'd be sure to eat it before it went bad.

Clothes somewhat dry, she filed off the air ship with everyone else in order to see their next challenge. This time she made sure to pay attention. Either she'd be riding the wind with Gon, or playing gymnast.

After watching Menchi below, it was apparent she was playing gymnast.

Not too long after Gon, she leaped into the chasm below and grabbed onto one of the thick web strings. To say she was scared was an understatement. She was terrified. If she was propelled by the gust, at least she'd have something to eventually break her fall. Something heavy caused the web to bob, and Aleta yelped as she nearly lost balance.

Of course, of all people it had to be Illumi. He chatted creepily at her as he picked his own egg and leaped back up, causing the web to bob more. This time, she slipped.

Crying out in surprise, Aleta wildly grabbed onto the fortunately placed web under it. Right next to a nest. Hastily, she grabbed an egg and tried to figure out a plan to get back up. The web she fell from wasn't that far. She could jump it if she could balance herself long enough to gain momentum. Could she do that?

Wing's training made sure she had great balance after all. No use knowing how to kick when you'd just fall over. Ah well, if she fell, she'd land in the water… the cold, probably deep water that would feel like a million bricks no matter if it was shallow or deep. It was fate's call on this one.

After carefully managing to pull up atop the web, Aleta bounced until she propelled herself unreasonably higher than expected back up. Well, physics should have told her doing that on the middle of a bouncy object would do that. Now she was about fifty feet higher than she should have been as she reached the maximum climax of her jump. And she didn't have a clue how to land.

She had to protect the egg, but she couldn't just land on her feet unless she wanted to break them. Though with her strength she could probably just end up with a sprain. It was still a start. But it would still hinder her chances of passing completely, if not lead to immediate failure. There was also nen. Nen protected one's body even from bullets right?

The ground was getting closer.

Oh well, first time for everything.

Aleta closed her eyes and focused her aura on her feet to her knees, imagining the ground to not hurt as best as she could. When the agony of breaking bones didn't meet her on the ground, she opened her eyes to see something completely unexpected.

The ground beneath her was made into a crater. Only, like freshly dug up dirt. There was also the sight of Chairman Netero, the examiners, Illumi and Hisoka looking her way also.

Being on the spot really wasn't that great.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Boy, I'm really going hard with this one. I'm getting tired. I have a headache, hopefully I'll have the motivation to keep going after all this gets posted. I doubt it.

After re-reading, I've come to realize how much more I could have done with this chapter. However, I'm terrible at writing fight scenes without sounding repetitive.

Not Strong Enough

Chapter 8

After making sure the egg under her arm wasn't cracked, Aleta looked back up to the people eying her. Then when the others noticed she was the center of attention, everyone joined in. Stage fright was not a pretty thing. It was slightly cooler atop the mountain, but she felt like she was atop an active volcano.

"Woah Leorio, did you see that? It was like the ground just shook around out of nowhere." Gon said to his friend.

So that's what happened? Face as red as Hisoka's hair, Aleta nervously approached. Then Gon, bless his sweet soul, came up to her.

"Hey, you're the lady who had some of that moss too. How'd you do that?"

Aleta looked into those shining, brown orbs and the nervous blush focused itself mainly to her ears, cheeks, and nose. It was like he was the embodiment of a warm fire on a freezing day.

Careful to handle her egg, Aleta looked to the side and placed a curled hand over her mouth shyly.

"O-oh that. I can't tell you. B-but I'm sure you'll learn it someday."

"Like a secret?" he asked, his smile as broad as before.

It was bordering impossible not to smother the kid with hugs and kisses.

"Y-yeah. Just, keep it out of mind. It'll lose its charm. You know? You sh-should focus on the e-exam."

Gon pouted. "Awww, ok."

It was too adorable. Fearing for her life, and the egg's, Aleta squeaked and hurried away from most of the crowd.

Still apparently baffled, Menchi concluded the egg gathering and instructed them all on the egg boiling. Buhara gave away the secret once again, and everyone removed their eggs at the same time. True to her word, the eggs were delicious. At this point, Aleta concluded it would be best to ignore Gon until it was plot relevant. Seeing him try to get a ball from the Chairman would have been interesting, but her blood stained whites were more important.

Surprisingly, there _was _a laundry area on the air ship. The little money Aleta had was spent on the needed items. Wing would have been disappointed, but there was still a bit of girl left in her buff appearance. Wearing that same large shirt, the only thing left connected to her world, she waited for her clothes to finish. Like many random times, she began thinking of her mother again. She usually did all the laundry. Nobody else was in the room, so she allowed herself to slump down against the humming dryer and place her head in her hands. Then she heard chattering. And only one person in the exam chattered. Alert, Aleta sprung up in a defensive position and looked around. It didn't sound close, but he must have known she was around. Was the assassin spying on her? She sensed no killing intent. Maybe if she hid behind one of the machines, he'd pass her by. It was a childish way to hide, and wouldn't fool any real hunter, but using zetsu would only cause more problems.

The chattering got closer and her heart beat faster. It wasn't long before she heard footsteps. They stopped a ways from the door before continuing on until they faded from her hearing.

This was far from the plan. She drew too much attention to herself. Now there were surely eyes her way. And worst of all, Gon probably placed her into his equation of friends. As nice as it was, she did _not_ fit into the equation of the plot.

The buzz of the dryer startled her and she jumped. Looking around, she saw no assassins so she crept from her hiding place. The products here worked better than expected and her clothes looked brand new. Then again, when dealing with Hunters you had all kinds of nasty things to wash out from clothes. Hastily, she changed back and sighed. Her clothes were clean, but she was still dirty. And no way was she brave enough to take a sink bath.

Deciding to just wash her face again, Aleta made her way back to the cafeteria, finally eating the smushed sandwich in her bag. It was supposed to be bologna with mayonnaise. Simple, but efficient. After following her meal with a quarter of her bottled water, the girl decided to rest where she knew Leorio and Kurapika would currently be sleeping. They weren't the only ones. The sniper woman, Pokkle, and many other applicants all huddled in their respective groups or corners to sleep the hours away. Not exactly sure if she should get closer or farther from those she knew wouldn't kill her, Aleta decided to sit about a yard away from Kurapika who was, unconsciously, leaning against Leorio. Another precious moment that almost made her squeal with delight.

Using her duffle bag as a pillow, Aleta curled up around the thing in a ball and allowed herself to sleep.

The sun and a loud announcement woke her along with the others in that area. Yawning, the blonde stretched and worked out the kinks in her back and arms from being in such a position.

"Heh, she's like a cat." Aleta heard someone say, though through her sleepy haze she couldn't make out who. Knowing she only had a limited amount of time, she decided to do her morning duties before heading back to where they'd let them all out. If anything, most of the time was spent with her re-braiding her hair that managed to loosen in the night. It was the sniper, who she discovered plucking her eyebrows in the bathroom mirror, that helped her.

Guess women stuck together no matter where they were. Hunters or not.

Without delay, well, aside from Netero telling the captain to fly slower, they all arrived at Trick Tower. Given that everyone was going to take a different path, Aleta sought out the firs t different stone she saw and jumped down while the others were distracted by the rock climber. There were just some things she didn't want to see.

There was only one bracelet on the table, and she picked it up, fastening it around her wrist and listened to Lippo give her an instruction speech.

"_Oh, surprised to see you figured things out so fast. No matter. You have chosen the path of _The Executioner_. This shall be interesting. That bracelet tells you how much time you have left, it also links with your vitals. The rest will be explained to you along the way. Do have a nice trip._"

A door to her left opened and, though nervous, Aleta stepped through. The next room contained what was obviously a prisoner.

"You have 2 options. You will either surrender and forfeit, or fight for your life. The next door will only open if you defeat me. Do you accept?" he said.

"And what if I forfeited? Will I be held here until the end of the Exam? I know you're a prisoner, though for something like this my guess is that you're on death row, not stalling for hours." Aleta responded coolly.

The prisoner laughed. "A smart one. You're right. So, do you accept?"

Aleta hadn't anticipated this. Sure, people died by the hands of children all the time in this world, but could she really snuff out a life like that? And knowing this place there would be more to follow. Wing didn't teach them fatal blows, but she knew how to snap a neck. This was the path of The Executioner, so it was either kill or waste three days until absolute failure.

Taking a deep breath, Aleta answered.

"Jeez they really lay it on thick here. I accept."

The prisoner raised his bulky arms as his shackles fell and he ripped off his cloak. He was a big man, the prison stereotype. A tattoo on his neck, short, brown hair, and a cold gaze that held no sympathy for his victims.

"Oh yeah, forgot to mention. Each of us has an implant in us that connects to the door. You manage to bring me down, the door opens. Pansy out and manage to knock me out, then you're stuck until you end it."

Aleta readied her stance.

"Come on then."

* * *

Many hours later, five according to her bracelet, Aleta found herself descending down stairs in a crumbling walk way. Blood splattered her clothing even worse than before, her eyes were red as they stung from crying, and whimpers escaped her throat as she made it to her next destination. The prisoner looked upon her silently.

"Do you accept?" she asked.

Aleta wanted to scream no. Door after door, if it wasn't a trap, it was another prisoner. She had emptied her stomachs contents several hours ago, and she could barely wretch at this point. It was terrible. Her heart beat in her chest as she curled up in place, trying to rid her mind of the feeling of hands breaking bone. With each passing door, the opponents got stronger, the last one managed to leave a harsh bruise on her torso. Her nose was bloodied, and she was sure she had cuts all over from weapon users

"You know," the prisoner began. "this is also called the way of Insanity. One may think killing is easy, but the weaker minded ones usually allow themselves to be killed willingly just to end it all. Or they surrender. I'm surprised you've made it this far. So, do you accept?"

Head pounding, Aleta placed her forehead against the cold, stone walls. She couldn't even look down without seeing some blood that splattered on her hair from a prisoner biting it of all things.

She ended his life with a stomp to the head.

Once she was able to breath, Aleta stood up and readied her stance once more.

"I accept." She cried.

The woman was gorgeous, probably useful when distracting weaker willed targets. Her hair was probably longer than Aleta's, only in a ponytail and deep purple. And of all things, she was a nen user. If it weren't for her own knowledge of it, she would have probably gotten herself killed from the others killing intent alone.

She was a transmuter, apparently taking her aura and sharpening it to the point where she could toss it around like a set of daggers. Many of them managed to nick Aleta's arms and legs, though she never seemed to aim for her head.

As the blonde dodged about, the prisoner talked as though they were having coffee, not fighting to the death.

"You've gotten this far, so you're probable smart enough to notice. You see, my victims would always have their heads intact. I had such a large collection actually. My favorites were children. They looked so nice, smiling at me from my cabinets. Too bad their eyes remained frozen. I liked big smiles. Big enough to nearly rip their cute little faces in half!"

Focusing aura into her right arm, the prisoner created a sword like weapon.

"Don't be scared little girl. I'll make sure to give you a nice clean cut! All that pretty hair would look lovely splayed about."

Aleta waited until the woman was near before jumping up. The woman, expecting an attack from behind, couldn't react properly when the blonde grabbed her by her own long pony tail. Like a noose, the hair was wrapped around the prisoners neck. Landing neatly on her shoulders, Aleta pulled, ripping her head off.

As the headless body hit the floor, Aleta looked away and heaved dryly. Shoulders shaking, she barely noticed as the door opened. "_Well done 269. Just down that hallway is the exit." _Lippo said from the intercom.

Mind blank, Aleta's body moved on auto pilot as she grabbed her duffle bag and found herself a corner to collapse into. Not even the announcement stating she was the first mattered as she fell into a deep sleep.


	9. Chapter 9

Not Strong Enough

Chapter 9

Something steamy and nice smelling brought Aleta back to her senses. It smelled like those chicken pot pies her mother got her for a quick snack.

Warily, she sat up and noticed nearly everyone in the room was staring at her. Looking over, she saw an applicant she hadn't really paid attention to in the process of standing up. Right next to her. He had neatly trimmed hair, and a gentle smile. Though she could barely recall anything about him.

"Oh, you're awake. Saw that you slept through the last meal time and I figured I'd bring you something over."

"O-oh. I…" Aleta looked around once more, over half of the gazes still on her. Looking to the bracelet that was still on, she had been out for nearly a full day. "…I see. Um.. Why is everyone staring at me?"

The friendly looking guy squatted down.

"You were the first one here according to Hisoka. 5 hours and 40 minutes. Though… you look like you've been through more than most of us."

Looking down, the floor was smeared with blood from her own body as well as the others she had slain. It was sticky, and completely disgusting. They had to have a bathroom here. After all, Hisoka and the other early arrivals had to have to go during those long waits.

"I'm sure you're wondering, but there's a bathroom over that way. "

Aleta thanked applicant 362 and shakily made her way to the room, her mind not completely processing many things at once. Much to her convenience, the place was larger than expected. Several stalls lined one wall while a not quite half wall revealed a shower area. After taking care of what she needed to, Aleta stripped and let the hot water flow from her head to her toes, blood and caked dirt rolled down the drain in rivers. There was no way she'd change into her previous clothes. She'd isolate them in a plastic bag and wear her other pair.

Then she broke down once more. Thoughts of how much she wanted her mother to hold her and tell her everything was going to be alright sent whimpers from her mouth, barely drowned out by the running water.

Gore filled images of the bodies flashed through her mind. Broken necks, pierced hearts, beaten forms, mangled limbs, and finally, the headless woman. All out crying, Aleta hugged her knees to her bare chest and cried until only the hot shower water fell down her face.

Her honed instincts not to shower long got the better of her and she finished up within thirty minutes. Though she was still sluggish. After drying off, she put on a tighter fitting, though not too tight, belly top and shorts. With nothing else to do really, she attempted to clean her shoes. They were thin, so it didn't take long for them to dry under the automatic hand dryer. They were still stained much to her dismay.

Emotionally drained, Aleta returned to her blood stained corner and nibbled at the food nobody touched. Far from warm, but her mind wasn't exactly too aware of that.

Just then, though only seconds apart, the sniper and another male applicant stepped into the room. She recognized the man to be the one that died upon reaching the final room. Maybe it was the path of The Executioner that had managed to off him. Ponzu arrived shortly after.

"Eh so many. Guess I was slower than I thought." The man said before sitting by himself.

For the most part, nobody paid him any mind. Then slowly, the other applicants began to fill in, but a certain group of five remained missing. Nothing else to do, Aleta moped.

It was a slow way to pass the time, but killing wasn't a walk in the park. She wasn't born in the brutal streets, or junk heaps rather, of Meteor City. She wasn't raised like a Zoldyk. Nor was she trained like a still very loud ninja.

Then again, maybe the man's ramblings would be a good distraction. Talking to anyone would be a nice distraction actually.

Nervously, Aleta approached the ninja as he sharpened a kunai he pulled from who knows where.

"E-excuse me. Um, Hanzo?"

The bald man looked up in surprise. "Oh hey, 269. This is a surprise. What's up?"

So friendly for a man who'd break a child's arm.

"Would it be alright if I waited for the exam to finish w-with you? I mean, it's ok if you don't want me to, I'll just go back. In fact this w-"

"No, no. It's alright." Hanzo laughed. "I can't believe you're so shy. You look like one of my martial arts teachers."

Aleta blushed slightly as she sat down, cuddling her duffel bag between her legs and arms. It was the oddest experience speaking to someone she knew plenty about, but from a fictional stand point.

"Is that so? Um, thanks I suppose. So-uh, could you tell me about your training?"

"Sure! I started training as soon as I could see according to my old man. Ya know, can't exactly teach a newborn. Anyway..."

Hanzo went on, and on. By the time he reached his teen years many of the applicants had gone to sleep. It must have been night time, though he was still full of talking energy. Still, Aleta's training was merely touching one's toes in comparison to ninja training. If that.

Still holding the bag like a stuffed animal, Aleta barely noticed as her eyes drooped and darkness took over her vision. Hanzo was still talking.

When she awoke, Hanzo was gone, and she had a small cramp in her back. A small "Ah" escaped her mouth as she stretched and looked around. The applicants were awake, and heading over to a large trolley with multiple racks. It looked like the food cart.

Not wanting to miss another meal, Aleta fetched her own trey as well. Illumi caught her eye as he nibbled through his own meal. If she had no value for her life, she would have snatched one of those needles out and watched the horror unfold. Though unlike Hisoka's cooking, it wasn't worth it.

After eating, the sniper woman approached.

"Hey." She greeted.

"Oh, hello." The younger girl responded.

Without even asking, the sniper sat down and turned Aleta's way.

"Turn around, your hairs a mess."

"Huh?" after fingering through said hair, it was indeed messy. Aleta could feel the tangles and stray strands tickling her back. Odd how she hadn't noticed it before.

Silently, she complied and felt the other's nimble fingers go through her hair. The sensation was nice, though she refused to think about her mother again. True she wanted to see her, but it wouldn't do any good to brood again.

"You've got some nice texture, what kind of shampoo do you use?"

Funny, she hadn't expected the woman to be the girly type.

"Nothing special. Just the generic, general store kind. I prefer it cut short, but it just keeps growing back. Kind of annoying in hot weather."

"Really? I envy you then. The most I can do with mine is perm it. The chemicals make it extra silky."

Aleta chuckled. "I guess I'm just not a huge fan of hair then. It gets in the way in a fight, and it throws me off balance. Though it's funny…"

"Funny?"

"Yeah, I always wanted that long, shin length hair. But every time it gets past my shoulders it's just a hassle to deal with, so I keep it short."

It was the other's turn to laugh. "I guess so, you're a martial artist aren't you? I thought long braids were in style."

"Pfft, for the men maybe. Though… you're a sniper, so I suppose as long as you have your eyesight clear you can wear whatever you want."

"Hmm, I guess you're right. Though I do like to look nice once in a while. There you go."

Aleta reached over and pulled her long braid over her shoulder. It was nice and perfect.

"Thanks. I guess now I don't have to wake up with hair in my mouth."

Both laughed quietly at that.

"What's this? The shy girl opens up?" Hanzo said from a few feet away.

"I'm not shy! I'm just, I mean, it's just…"

"No need to worry over it. At least you're capable of talking. Though that one kid and his buddies were pretty loud."

Speaking of their group, the time was still far from over. If anything they should still be in confinement until the last hour of the exam. About thirty more hours to go.

"So where are you from anyway?" Hanzo's question snapped the girl from her thoughts. The sniper woman had already stood and left.

"Me? Oh, it's… uh-Noroco."

"Ah, so you're right by Heaven's Arena. Pretty decent training ground, and I hear the pay isn't that bad."

"Yeah, I've never been though."

"Well, if I ever need cash I know that'd be a great place to earn it."

"So… could you tell me more about your training. You left off at when you were 16."

"Eh? If I remember _you_ fell asleep. Ah well, I'll start from there then."

Hanzo's life story went on for an ungodly amount of time. However it made the hours pass faster and it was much more entertaining than the rest of the lot. Another advantage of knowing characters before entering a universe. It took her mind off the horrors from the day before, and gave her a bit of encouragement. After all if Hanzo could kill and remain so light hearted, then Aleta could too. She didn't mind sharing bits of her training with Hanzo either. Excluding the nen part, naturally.

"So the boy's only five and a half? Well, for an ordinary kid not bad."

Only fifteen hours remaining.

"I'm gonna take a nap. It was nice talking to you, Hanzo." Aleta said while cuddling her bag once more and leaning against a wall.

"Ah no problem. Same to you."

Within minutes, darkness took her senses. Upon awakening, her bracelet indicated eight hours remaining. At this, Aleta figured it would be best to take her last shower and clean up before they set out for the next phase. Instead of getting sweaty from working out, she chose to meditate, using ten. Sure it would draw the only other two nen users' attention, but she knew they wouldn't do anything at this point.

When the one hour warning signaled, Aleta drew herself from her meditation and took up some stretches. She had gotten surprisingly flexible. A split was like opening her arms. Then, true to the universe, Gon and the others came riding down on their make shift trolley and skidded to a stop just as time ran out.

Silently, she cheered for them as well.

Everyone then stood and gathered as the phase was called to a close. The door to the outside was opened, and Aleta knew it was time to see who her opponent for Zevil Island was.


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: I really tire of saying Aleta, Aleta, she she she so much.

Though, as I said, there will be no pairings. What you read is just for my idea of comedy effect. Think Boa Hancock only not in love.

I also noticed my lack of dialog. I guess that stemmed from me not wanting Aleta to have too much interaction going on. I mean, she is trying to stick to the side lines and avoid screwing up the story.

Not Strong Enough

Chapter 10

Unlike everyone else, Aleta spent the time of the Zevil Island explanation memorizing any unfamiliar applicant numbers. Before anyone else made a move, she drew her lot first, Hisoka right behind her. Making sure to stand in a way where her number would be hidden, Aleta waited for Lippo to state the conditions before hiding her tag along with the others. It'd be bad news if the sniper, Hisoka, or Illumi were the ones after her. She couldn't move at the speed of sound yet, so dodging bullets, cards, and needles weren't on her agenda.

The target turned out to be the nameless hunter who was meant to die originally. Well, seeing as he managed to go against every opponent she had, he must have been somewhat strong. But in the end she'd just knock him out, take his badge, and run. Maybe if she was lucky she could find one of the hidden referees.

Gon's idle chatting was musical as they all headed to Zevil Island. The boat ride was quiet for the most part. There was also the guide who was being completely ignored. Aleta smiled gently to her, just to show she wasn't unappreciated by everyone. She was just doing her job after all. The guide smiled back, less down in spirits than before.

As soon as Aleta was allowed off the boat, she made sure to run as fast as she could to the north-western side of the island. There, she would secure herself a hiding place. Soon enough, the others would be getting let off, and she'd have to just go after her target later. Though she'd have to do everything by day. The white of her clothes would be like a light in the night, the moonlight would only illuminate her further. Though until tomorrow, she would just have to get settled in.

An hour and a half passed of her running at top speed before she came to a stop, not too far from the coast. The area was still densely forested, yet there was a stream not too far away. She still had bottled water, so she'd just have to conserve it until the phase was over. The stream was bound to have plenty of fish, but at the same time a bond fire would draw too much attention. It wouldn't be much, but berries would probably be the best choice.

The sun began to descend the sky became different hues of pink and purple. Evening would fall soon, so she had to gather those berries to eat tomorrow. It was so weird, being in such a natural area. There weren't as many bugs as she feared, though there still were enough for her to be weary. No rumble of cars, and the air was so fresh. If anything her Girl Scouts camping trip was more like a trip to someone's backyard.

From the looks of things, there wasn't any poison ivy around, and the fruits were familiar. A clean sock filled with blue berries and a few apples later, Aleta decided to rest. She had done enough sleeping in Trick Tower, so she wasn't that sleepy either. The night air was cool, and she shivered. The lapping waves from the coast weren't improving her condition either. It was a shame that cave was going to be occupied by snakes; a fire could have circulated decent heat. Too bad there weren't any bears around. She could have bargained with someone else in order to have it made into her personal pelt.

The area in which to sleep became a bit of a dilemma. It wasn't as though she was terrified of bugs, but at the same time she didn't want them near her, much less crawling on her as she slept. The base of a tree was secure, but it's where the freaky, wood dwelling things usually stayed. The branch of a tree was about the same. Illumi's plan was ingenious though. He didn't mind sleeping with worms and whatever crawled in the ground, but who would honestly think to dig the man up?

However, it was sleep in a safe area or be possibly killed in one's sleep.

Stepping back a few paces, Aleta ran towards and up a tree with thick branches. She could only run so far before taking a leaping jump and grabbing onto a branch, then climbing a good twenty five feet from the ground. If she fell, then at least her being unconscious wouldn't bring her too much harm. Leaning back, she closed her eyes until she fell into sleep once more.

* * *

Dawn came slowly, and Aleta opened her eyes to the darkness. The sky was a pale, navy like color, meaning she had a little less than two hours until the sun was up completely. Now would be the best time to find that man, get his pin, and get away.

She resisted a shriek as something large, black, and creepy rested on her leg and she flung it off. From the trees around her, other branches were in sight. It would be a convenient way to travel, and she wouldn't risk running into traps on the ground.

It was decided. The blonde adjusted her bag around her back and leapt.

Her leg muscles must have been stronger than she thought because hoping from tree to tree wasn't as hard as she expected. An hour of heading east later, she stopped to scout the area. It wasn't as dense as where she had come from, but it didn't look like the more open ones from the series. Gon and the others must have been on the other side of the island.

Several hours later, she found her target from a distance. Deciding zetsu would be convenient, she hid her presence and leapt forward as quietly as possible.

Aleta was at her last tree before the area became nothing but a grassy field. The grass wasn't high, but it was still over a foot. Looking below, she could also see rabbits running about. He must have been getting a meal. Too bad for him, it would have to wait.

Using all her leg power, she propelled herself forward at top speed. The man reacted too slowly, and ended up being punched right in his right eye. Using the distraction, Aleta chopped the man on the back of his neck, hard.

As planned, he dropped to the ground. His badge was under his shirt within an inner breast pocket. Curious, the girl rummaged through the rest of his pockets. He had a bit of jenni, a hunting knife, a picture of some young lady, and some paper Aleta couldn't exactly read. There was also the card of his target, and as the fates would have it, it was her. Well, if nobody else discovered him, he'd be able to go back to whoever he left behind. Though with a little less money.

Mission accomplished. Now came passing a whole week. She was sure her little coastal hide out wouldn't last long, though there where little places in which she could go. The area where Gon practiced his snatching technique was off limits. Even if he got disrupted once, the flow of everything would come undone. At the same time, it was possible that could be the very thing to get a clue to back home.

Killua was out, Leorio and Kurapika were out as well. Hanzo was a thought, but keeping up with a ninja was a bit beyond her reach. The sniper would be killed. And there was no way she was going within half a mile near Hisoka or Illumi.

Oh well, it looked like she was going to have to lame it out and just avoid all contact.

* * *

The next few days were spent training. By day, she ran, stretched, and practiced her martial arts. By evening, she meditated and practiced her ten. Then by night, she slept, always waking up when it was still dark and the sun was about to rise. For the most part she used zetsu to sneak past others who were engaged in combat or looking for targets. By the final day, she chose to stay slightly east of the area where they first dropped off. Those shadowers were pretty amazing since she hadn't spotted one.

Nervous as she was, she waited with Hisoka and Illumi at the pickup sight. None of them said anything, but it was so hard not to stare at Hisoka's thin waist. He must have worn a corset or something to get that form. Then there was Illumi's chattering. When she stared for too long, he creaked his head over her way and she blushed, looking down and away.

The other applicants filled in, including Killua.

Gon, Kurapika, and Leorio would be last, so until then Aleta passed the time by intentionally messing with Illumi. It was kind of funny after awhile. She'd stare at a part of him, he'd chatter, and she'd pretend not to even have looked his way for a whole minute. She was sure Illumi was getting peeved, but she was under the temporary protection of a no kill zone. Maybe his pretty, purple nails were the result of his needles too.

Before she knew it, the guide arrived and Aleta produced both her and the applicant's badges.

* * *

Once on the air ship, the girl took the jenni she stole, which was thrice more than she had originally, and paid to get some laundry done, shoes included.

The laundry room was like her little safe haven. As the dryer hummed and clinked, she sat atop another wearing her still clean t-shirt. Not at all shy about not wearing pants this time. That shyness hit her full force when she suddenly felt a presence with murderous intent close by. Aleta's heart beat increased as she activated zetsu and hid behind the same machine as before. The door opened. The room was warm, but a cold sweat had broken out all over.

The footsteps where light, then abruptly halted as an announcement sounded from the speaker system.

Whoever it was, they made no move to seek her out further since the door opened again and she was left alone. When the machine beeped, the poor girl nearly had a heart attack. She hastily changed and reminded herself to try and get Menchi on her side. Maybe then she could find a shower somewhere.

Knowing she'd get called sooner or later, Aleta made her way to the interview room. As her luck would have it, she was called as soon as she arrived.

"Ah, glad you're here. Do have a seat." Chairman Netero welcomed.

Aleta sat across from him, politely on her knees.

"Yes?" she asked as though she had no clue as to what was going on.

"I've just got some questions here for you. Nothing too tricky. First off, why do you want to become a Hunter?"

"I…my mother. She's in a far away place, but it's not unreachable. I know it. I want to get back to her, and I think a license would help." Aleta grasped the edge of her shorts. Blocking out the ache in her heart with Netero's words.

"Now tell me, which applicant have you been keeping your eye on?"

Instantly thinking of Gon, Aleta brought her hands to her face to cover the blush and sighed. "Number 405, Gon."

"Oh? I see. Now, who is it that you would _least_ like to fight."

"Hmm, I'd say it's between 44, Hisoka and, well, I can't recall his number- but Gi-ga..tak..ur.. Uh, I think you know what I'm trying to pronounce, right?"

Netero chuckled. "Yes, yes. I see. Well, that will be all."

Without further ado, she left and made her way to where she guessed a certain Gourmet Hunter would be. In the process, she accidently made it to the pilot's cock pit, the kitchen, then finally the desired woman's room.

She was loudly talking to herself on the other side. After knocking a few times, she other answered with a bit of surprise.

"I wasn't expecting you of all people to show up at my door. Anything I can help you with?"

"Er, yeah… you see- I was just looking for a place to shower. I mean, I figured if there was a laundry center there'd be one, right?"

Menchi blinked then laughed. "Sure there is. I guess they only really tell you to wander around and do whatever right? Well, if you go upstairs, there's another set of bathrooms. They're much bigger than the one's downstairs and have showers attached."

"Really? Oh thanks so much!" Aleta said with delight.

Menchi rubbed the back of her strangely styled head. "Ah, no problem. Well, good evening then."

New destination in mind, the blonde set off.

* * *

Now fully clean, sans the braid she didn't want to undo yet, Aleta made her way back down to where the others would be sitting around. Only Hanzo, Hisoka, Pokkle, the martial artist, and Illumi remained.

The perverted magician was halfway done with a card tower, the bald ninja did thumb pushups, the archer tended to his arrows, and the others sat quietly. With too much pent up energy, Aleta took to stretching that was probably one step above yoga. Leorio returned just as she held the position of her legs bent in front of her shoulders. The teen coughed quietly into his hand and looked away. Killua entered when she was in the middle of her splits, looking in slight interest, then sat next to Leorio. Just as she finished, Gon and Kurapika arrived.

"Oh hey, you're the lady from before. And finished Trick Tower first!"

The sky was getting dark but Gon was as bright as ever. He sat right beside her.

"What was your name?"

He was unbelievably adorable. Aleta's heart fluttered and she twirled her fingers together.

"I-i'm Aleta."

"Hmm, so why do you want to be a Hunter?" he asked, as oblivious as ever.

"W-well… I-I kinda want to get back to m-mom. She's… far away. A-and I think a Hunter's license could create some pathways to get to her." The intensity of his gaze was too much. Aleta turned to the side while occasionally looking back into his large, brown eyes.

"Really? I'm kind of doing the same thing. Only for my dad. Is something wrong? Your face is all red." Without any permission, Gon touched her forehead.

"You're pretty warm too. Did you catch a fever on Zevil Island?"

It was too much. She just had to hug him or something.

Before Gon knew it, the other girl's hands where on him. One gently ruffling his hair and the other pulling him closer in an embrace. Any reactions where completely ignored as she relished in the moment. However, it was clear that the sight shocked all of them.

Killua thought it was an attack at first, his fingers ready to strike. However the end result left him confused and slightly blushing. Leorio plain blushed. Hisoka didn't look exactly shocked, though his fine eyebrows were raised slightly. Kurapika along with the rest of the males sat in stunned silence. Only Illumi gave no reaction. Gon patted her gently on the back.

"If you wanted a hug, you could have just asked." Gon said with a laugh.

Squeaking, Aleta snatched up her bag and hurried from the room and all the way back to the laundry center. Leaning back on a cold washing machine helped her concentrate on her rapidly beating heart and the hotness of her skin. It wasn't natural. No kid should be that sweet, and adorable. A twelve year old boy was supposed to be on the web, cursing and acting like a moron. Or writing overly foul mouthed or violent things in acts of rebelliousness. Not checking her temperature and talking to her like he'd known her for years.

Aleta finally let out a pent up squeal, wringing her hands and rubbing her knees together furiously. The effort left her relaxed and she sighed. The sky was dark, and she had a long day ahead of her. So there, leaning against a washing machine, Aleta slept.


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: Sorry if I got the Final Phase wrong in any order. And after re-reading I did. I completely forgot about Hisoka vs Kurapika.

Not Strong Enough

Chapter 11

This was it. The final phase of the Hunter exam. The roster was the same for the most part, yet only a small, yet large to her, difference took place. She basically took Pokkle's place. This meant she had to forfeit because there was no way she'd allow Hanzo to torture her. But then there was the case of Killua. The wildcard. If he agreed to fight her, she'd have to win. But she knew full well that wouldn't happen. He had to reject her, her license depended on it. And everything should play out from there.

Hisoka and Kurapika were still up first. It was interesting to say the least to see Hisoka get "agitated" which past the censors was a synonym for horny. If Aleta wasn't mistaken he might have seen drool forming on the side of his mouth. His eyes ere a sight as well. The normally narrowed slits were wide open and she could see just how perfectly white his teeth were as he panted. Erotic, but creepy. Just what was Togashi thinking when creating him?

Kurapika's eyes were a sight themselves. They were beautiful as they glimmered in the light. Yet his expression was scary. People fear that which they cannot understand, so it was no wonder people of the outside world did not know how to deal with the Kurta clan. Yet Aleta was more intrigued than anything.

After their surprisingly quick match ended, there had been a thirty minute break. Some of the remaining applicants went to use the bathroom while others remained and milled about. Not wanting to get lost, Aleta just paced to keep her legs from going numb and occasionally snuck glances at Hisoka or Illumi. Both were calm as usual. Seeing that one martial artist out of the corner of her eye made her a bit sad. He was going to die.

Aleta then pondered if she should do something about it. Though it wasn't much for her to do. She wouldn't stand a chance against Killua in a blood rage. Maybe she could warn him? But no, then Killua would resist killing the man and then the others would still have to fight leaving Leorio with a disadvantage. She could give up and let Killua win the match, but then Illumi might kill her. Groaning, Aleta sulked to a random spot on the floor and sat.

A feeling as though someone dumped a cold bucket of water on her head hit when she saw a certain spec of red hair out the corner of her eye and realized she was sitting less than a yard away from Hisoka. He gave one of his friendly, read terrifying, smiles and Aleta blanched. Before she could move, Beans announced that the next round was about to begin. Everyone gathered back, and Gon and Hanzo walked to the center of the large room.

She silently agreed to watch merely the beginning for the sake of seeing just how fast they moved without an animated motion blur. But before she could do that, she scampered away from the still grinning clown and moved to where Leorio stood, much to the teens confusion.

The match began.

Either Aleta was faster than she thought or they were just moving slower. She could see them, clear as day. Gon ran and leapt like a frog on steroids, but Hanzo was faster.

After the first strike was dealt, she knew it was all over at that point. Sitting a little ways behind Leorio, she allowed the man's long legs shield her from the curb stomp battle before her.

The anime really did make things seem like child's play. The hours dragged on, Gon's cries, Hanzo's strikes, and the sounds of crunching were the only soundtrack over this scene.

Every now and then, Aleta opened her eyes to observe those around her. Nearly everyone aside from Netero and Illumi gave an expression of pity or worry. Hisoka looked peeved. She knew that if this had continued a minute more originally, he would have failed again for tearing the man to shreds.

Aleta wasn't angry. She was plain heartbroken. She longed to leap out and scoop the child into her arms, but she knew she couldn't. To distract herself, she looked out the high windows and to the afternoon sky. It would be awhile until Hanzo gave up.

By the time he did, Aleta's face was hot, and she felt as though she was on the verge of tears..

Once Gon had been moved, the blonde girl stepped forward. Sniffing and taking a deep breath. Apparently Hanzo didn't want another break and Netero agreed to let him move forward.

"You know, crying won't do you any good." Hanzo stated plainly.

Aleta scoffed. "Yeah, whatever."

"Begin!" the referee shouted.

Immediately, Hanzo seemed to disappear and Aleta let her instincts take over by rolling forward. Missing what was meant to be a grapple from behind. As fast as she could, she darted forward and used zetsu after leaping over the man's bald head. A kick to the back of his head missed as he too moved forward, most likely out of instinct since she should have been harder to detect.

Their hands where a blur as they traded punches. Blocking or dodging. Without losing her balance, Aleta aimed a lick down to the man's knee, meaning to shatter it. He retaliated by kicking at her face.

The girl dodged by kneeling, yet an unexpected kick from his other foot met her chin and she went sailing. Another kick to her stomach forced her to the ground. Oh well, she was clearly outmatched, but it was nice putting on a little show.

As soon as she hit the ground she felt his body on top of hers, holding her down in a position similar to how he held down Gon. His intent was clear.

"You're pretty good. Though I'm going to have to ask you to yield. You're aware of what I did to Gon, and I will do the same to you." He said coldly.

Well this wasn't exactly the fantasy she had. Though he was on top of her, it felt absolutely threatening. His body was warm, but it was like having a bear ready to paw your face off.

He applied pressure to her arm as a warning.

"Yield." He commanded.

"I-I surrender! You win."

The pressure lifted and Aleta stood. Her arm ached a little, but she ignored it. After all, Killua was up next.

"I forfeit this one. I thought she'd be a bit more fun, but I was wrong. I don't want to fight a cry baby." Killua said as soon as he made his way forward.

Heat flared to her face as the adorable but rude kid turned away from her with his hands in his pockets. Eyes flashing, Aleta clenched her fists at her sides and sent a good amount of venomous hatsu his way. It wasn't as proficient as Wing or Illumi's but it did the job as he flinched and turned towards her warily.

"Brat." She grumbled while stomping away.

Due to the odd change of events, Pokkle was next. Before the archer could even flex a finger, Killua forfeit again.

"Chairman Netero! Is this even allowed. That brat's gonna let everyone get a free pass!" Menchi exclaimed.

"Hmm, this is allowed." The older man responded passively, causing Menchi to fume.

Slightly over the burn from earlier, Aleta made sure to move where she could get a good view of Illumi's face when he revealed it. Menchi would see, that there was one opponent who would be worth it.

However, how Hisoka always found Illumi's transformation interesting was anyone's guess. Aleta cringed and held her own face until it was complete. And she thought Hanzo was handsome. His cat like eyes were scaled down, though where still pretty open. Though as a whole…

Something warm dribbled from Aleta's nose and she tapped in confusion.

Great, a nosebleed. Hastily, she went into her bag and pulled out a tissue until it stopped. There was no way she was going to ruin her clothes with red again. If she could read better, she would have gotten the name of the soap powder she used at the laundry. Still, the man slowly approaching the younger boy was halfway worth it. And she even knew how to get to his house without getting eaten by their psycho dog.

Though pushing something weighing over a ton was going to take a few more years.

Tissue to the face, Aleta watched on. Hopefully when they launched that formal complaint, nobody would ask her anything of it. He was merely using hatsu. Netero and the other nen users probably saw this, but to keep the secret pro Hunter exam, they played dumb.

Still in his stupor, Killua surrendered.

Aleta made sure that she was safely away from the boy and only moving to blow her nose to rid the remaining clogs of blood. Hopefully that wouldn't attract him further.

It didn't, and Killua still slaughtered the poor old man. She avoided looking at him completely as he departed for the Zolkyk estate.

The rest of the fights went as planned, and the orientation was set to begin tomorrow morning. They were allowed their own rooms. Though not exactly grand, it was still better than most hotel rooms. Dinner had been left in front of her door on a trolley, a luxury she had never really experienced before. It was a mix of things, suitable for anyone's diet. A hot soup, bread, and salad was all she needed, though one never knew when they'd go hungry. Fortunate to have another set of plastic bags, she took pieces of the meats and other things, wrapped them in thick blankets of napkins, and placed them in the plastic bags. The one reserved for her dirty clothes was duly avoided.

Aleta decided to finally undo the dirtied braid she wore and washed her hair with the generously given toiletries. There was no point in bothering with it further so she let it hang. Full, calmed, and not wanting to bother with the hassle of clothing, Aleta slept peacefully that night.

* * *

Dawn greeted her that morning and Aleta rose, yawning and shuddering from the chill of her arms hitting the cooler than under her sheets air.

Though still clean from last night, she took a morning shower to wake herself up.

This time, she chose to wear a sports bra and a loose fitting shirt over it that hung on her shoulders and above her stomach with shorts, all white of course.

Opening her door revealed a trolley for breakfast. Though not exactly hungry, it would have been a waste to let such delicious looking pancakes go.

Indeed, they were delicious. Making sure to grab some of the fruits on the trolley as well, Aleta figured she had a nice supply of food. They trolley also came with a note… that she couldn't read. The numbers where clear. "8:00am"

The bed side clock read 7:38. Plenty of time to get lost, but still enough to find someone who knew how to read.

After gathering her things, and grabbing some of the free items from the bathroom to add to her survival collection, she set out.

The halls were empty so she looked out the window, hoping to spot an employee or someone friendly to help her. A few minutes passed before she _did_ find someone. A fellow Hunter as a bonus. Only it was, Aleta sighed, Illumi. The man emerged from his room a few moments before she got within a few feet.

She knew that he was going to the same place as her, but she'd rather not be in his shadow lest he decide to mess with her and run off at the speed of sound.

"U-uh. Excuse me." Aleta called gently.

The brunette turned, staring down impassively.

"Yes?"

"I..I-I-I n-ed. Need! I need your help, with… something. I mean, Uh." Fumbling from fear and embarrassment, trembling hands held the card from the trolley. "I can't, um read. I mean I can, a little, but I can't read this. Can you help me? Please?"

Illumi stared at her for a moment.

"That string on your finger, where did you get it?"

Caught completely off guard by the question, Aleta looked to her pinky which still had the string attached. She hadn't given it any thought since she wore it for so long.

"Oh this? My sensei gave it to me. To keep a promise."

"I see." The card was taken, more like snatched, from the girls hands as Illumi read it aloud. " Congratulations. Please report to the orientation room located in building C on the first floor by 8:00am."

Illumi flicked the card back to her and Aleta caught it.

"Thanks."

The other made no indication he heard her as he kept walking, presumably to the indicated location. Still not having a clue as to what the C building was, or where rather, the blonde chose not to push her luck with the needle wielder. She followed for the time being. From a safe distance, figuratively speaking.

They both arrived as the second and third Hunters respectively. Hisoka was already there, shuffling through his cards.

Thanking whatever deities existed in this world, the girl sat a few rows behind Hisoka. A clear vantage point when Gon came and busted the assassin's arm. It would be nice seeing him alive and with a bit more vigor.

Everyone else began to trickle in along with the examiners, Netero, and Beans.

"Oh! It looks like it's about time to start. Welcome everyone, and congratulations on passing the Hunter exam." Beans said loudly. "To start things off, I will call each of your names. When your name is called, please come to receive your Hunter's license and guidebook. I will be going over its contents afterwards. Now…"

Hanzo was first, then Leorio, and the list continued in an odd manner until Aleta's was called last. After returning to her seat, Kurapika and Leorio spoke up, launching their formal complaint about Killua's behavior. Gon walked in, and magic happened.

It was nothing short of amazing as the boy lifted the grown man, well, flung the grown man from his seat.

Aleta kept her mouth shut throughout the entire thing, watching as though it were the most realistic live action movie ever. What threw her off guard was the fact that Gon placed himself next to her when he took his seat. Even his upset expression was endearing as a barking puppy. Her face was hot again and she bit her thumb's nail to try and focus on something else. The pudgy little man began explaining everything she knew about her license. It was like being in a classroom, knowing a subject all too well, but she had to put up with it anyway. There was no point in her opening the booklet. She couldn't read anyway. No matter how guilty she felt when she was being intentionally watched.

Gon's warmth faded as he stood to leave. Aleta wanted to call out to him, but she knew what he had to do. The plot was set in stone, and she couldn't work up the guts to delay it even by a second. Saddened, Aleta figured she may as well return to Noroco with Wing and Zushi.

Pokkle was doomed to die, and who knows when Hanzo would show up again… however. If Pokkle was warned, both he and Ponzu would live. The Chimera Ants could be squashed before they even started. Kite would live, Gon wouldn't suffer But then… Gon. He would still be even farther from his father. It was like the question that old woman asked back at the beginning of the exam. Or rather, even in class from her home world, students were asked similar questions.

Save a single hostage and kill off many, or save the rest and kill that one. Ging wouldn't die, but many of Gon's adventures would.

There would also be the allies Gon would fail to meet. But, was it worth it? To steal the spotlight, Gon and Killua would continue to be strong, but not strong enough for future challenges. To hang back and wait, Aleta would have to let every horror transpire. Two years she would have to wait as well. Two years of training with Wing and Zushi, if she was allowed to even.

The room was becoming empty, she had to decide soon.


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: Looks like I'm writing myself into a wall again. This may be a forever incomplete if I can't pull a rabbit out of my ass.

Not Strong Enough

Chapter 12

Aleta shook as she took step after step. She had no clue to either step in, or stay out. Her decision would make or break the universe. Gon was dead set on getting his friend back, but she knew all the answers. She was a living cheat code that could make everything over powered or glitch beyond repair.

Sweaty palms trembled while she pondered.

"Hey."

"Ah!" Aleta jumped, absolutely startled.

"Woah calm down. What's gotten into you? You look terrified." Hanzo asked. He was back to his friendly self again.

"I'm, on the verge of making either the greatest or deadliest decision of my life, and I only have a limited time to choose. I'm just really, really nervous."

Hanzo looked interested.

"Hmm, right here eh? I won't pry, but I gotta know, does it have something to do with Gon?"

The energetic boy was nowhere in sight, but she knew what he was doing.

"Y-yeah." She admitted hesitantly.

The bald man eyed her for a moment before speaking again.

"Well, whatever works best, I'm sure you'll choose the right thing. Though, a kid as young as him? I don't think he's ready for someone your age."

Aleta's cheeks matched the other mans shoulder pads at this point.

"N-no it's not like _that_!"

"Wait really? But you, you know, seem to get _really _excited whenever he's even in eyesight. I haven't trained for all these years to not know what people are thinking. You turn into an open book. You didn't think everyone was watching you every time you come within a few feet of Gon?"

Hiding her face in her hands, Aleta shook her head furiously.

"It's not! I swear. I have my reasons, but it's not like that! No way."

Hanzo watched in silence before laughing. "You sure are an interesting one alright. Here, this is my card for whenever you want to take a visit to my country."

Aleta eyed the thing before her blush settled to simple embarrassment.

"I'd love to accept, only I can't read."

A crow squawked ahead.

"You mean to tell me you just became a Hunter and you can't _read_?!" Hanzo yelled.

The blonde cringed in response. "Y-yeah. My sensei has been trying to teach me, but I can't read anything complicated. My writing is even worse."

"Unbelievable!"

"Yeah you said it." A new voice said from behind them.

Pokkle walked forward and gave Aleta a quizzical look. "You were being so loud I couldn't help but to overhear. A rookie applicant who can't read or write passes on her first attempt at the Hunter exam. That sounds like a front liner."

"Well I'm trying to learn! But, everything is hard." Aleta pouted.

"You said you from Noroco right?" Hanzo asked. "In a city like that, you're bound to have to follow signs and read all kinds of stuff."

"Well I can, but only because my sensei would make me memorize them when training. "

Pokkle spoke again. "Yeah? Well how do you plan on traveling then? Going everywhere by foot wouldn't be the best thing unless you were a hermit or something."

She hadn't thought of that. Though at this rate, precious seconds were being lost. By going back to Wing, she could learn how to read, train, and maybe gather her thoughts until Gon and Killua arrived for the tournament. Pokkle would still be sent to his death, tortured and eaten while eventually giving the Chimera Ants the information they needed.

Suddenly frowning, Aleta made her decision.

"Hanzo…"

"Uh, yep?"

"Please, give me one of those cards. I will visit some day, when I can read."

Hanzo happily obliged and gave one to Pokkle as well.

"Can't wait then. Well, I'm gonna go on ahead. See you soon!"

They both waved goodbye, then Aleta turned her attention to the boy.

"Pokkle, I can't get into many details, but in the future, you and Ponzu will go to a place, looking for new species. Don't. Stay away from that place that shuns technology. Or anything new. It will be both of your graves."

The young archer blinked and gave her a strange look. "What are you talking about? And how did you know I wanted to look for new species?"

"I… know things. Just like how I knew about the exam. Didn't you think it odd I was capable of so much? Anyway, just remember what I said. I have to go. Goodbye." Aleta ran away before the other could say anything else.

Her top priority was to get an airship ride from here back to Noroco. Pokkle, Ponzu. Kite, and many others lives were saved. Now she just had to wait.

* * *

After getting much appreciated directions, that involved landmarks, from Menchi, Aleta set out. She had a plan. First she would focus more on reading and writing. No doubt Gon would be going to Greed Island, but before that she had to write a letter. She would address it to Kite. However, there was no way the man would believe her if she just sent a letter to where he'd be in the future. She had to have it sealed with nen and delivered by Gon.

She'd tell Kite about the Chimera ants, and how he should get Netero and his men to assist. She'd give the truth about his fate. There was a possibility he'd still ignore it, but she doubted it if her idea worked. One month. One month to learn how to completely read and write.

It would have been easier to copy Ging and record her voice, but the sooner he got the information, the better. It was also important that Wing and Zushi did not hear her. Everything would have to fall into place.

It took an hour of walking before Aleta reached the air port. It was crowded with people, and once again her inability to read beyond basic warnings and general signs left her lost.

"Excuse me." She asked the first lady in uniform. She looked like a security guard.

"Yes?" the woman responded, though not exactly politely.

"I need a bit of help. Could you direct me to where I can get tickets? I'm trying to get to Noroco."

The guard blinked in surprise but answered anyway. "Up If you keep going straight, it's right in front of you. Where all those desks are."

Looking over the woman's shoulder, there was indeed a long line of people waiting in different sets of lines.

"Thanks so much." Aleta flashed a smile and hurried to the shortest one.

Her license allowed free travel to almost anywhere, so hopefully it would do the trick here.

* * *

Zushi stood in the living room of his and Wing's home. Aura flowed neatly around him as he practiced his ten. Wing sat in a wood chair, not too far away, reading a book, but still keeping an eye on the boy. The sky was getting dark outside, and it was almost time for both of them to call it a day.

The sound of the door opening startled both of them.

A familiar blonde stepped in and smiled.

"I'm back."


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: Oh god I'm still writing. Though I'm slowing down…

Not Strong Enough

Chapter 13

A full moment of silence passed before anyone moved.

Wing smiled gently. "Welcome back."

"Aleta!" Zushi called, smiling and running to her.

As a surprise, she pulled her Hunter's license from a back pocket.

"Wow, a real license."

"Aleta." Wing said. His voice sounded serious, and the blonde looked up.

"We need to have a bit of a talk. Zushi, go back and finish your ten. We'll be back shortly."

"Osu!"

The two young adults stepped out and onto the balcony overlooking the street.

"How many?"

Aleta looked up to her mentor. "How many?"

"Yes. I can see it in your eyes, they're different. How many lives did you take?"

"Oh…" Aleta looked down and clenched her strong hands on the steel guard railing. "200."

They stood silently for a long while.

"Such a brutal test."

"Mhmm. We all had to clear a tower in 3 days. Each taking different paths. I ended up with The Executioner. I hated every second of it. There where… so many bodies. Victim after victim. They were all death row inmates to a prison, but even if they told me their crimes, it was still- s-so h-h-" Aleta sniffed.

Wing placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Shh. Don't think about it. The exam is over, you passed. I's up to you to decide if it was worth it or not."

Aleta fought back tears and wiped her nose with the back of her hand.

"Y-eah. U-um Wing. I have a favor to ask you."

"Yes?"

"I, need to learn how to read and write. I have one month, and something big is going to happen. There's a letter I have to write, and, I also need to know how to seal it with nen. It must be delivered. Lives depend on it. Can you teach me?"

"I'll see what I can do. I'm not sure if you'll be able to manage this all in one month."

"Then, I'll work harder than ever! Please, Wing."

The man nodded. "Alright. Zushi and I were just wrapping up for tonight. As a celebration, how about I let you two catch up tonight? He could use another break since he's been training so hard after you left. Though, I'm sure you know what to leave out."

Before she could answer, Wing stepped back inside and announced he could spend the rest of the day with Aleta.

* * *

The boy allowed her to hold his hand as they walked together, enjoying some hamburgers and sucked in the city lights.

"So you won because another applicant let you win?" he asked in disbelief.

"Yeah. Pretty disappointing right? He was so arrogant."

"I bet he failed didn't he."

Aleta hid the flash of emotion on her face with a nervous smile.

"Yeah. He did. Though I'm sure he'll take it again next year."

Something red caught her eye and Aleta sensed as though someone was targeting her. She turned to the source, startled. In a narrow alleyway, a certain red haired magician waved and flicked a card from his wrist.

"Uh-Zushi. Wait on that bench over there. I'll be right back, something just came up."

"Sure, is something wrong? Can I help?"

"It's not that big. I'll be right back, ok?"

"Alright."

Seeing that he was seated and holding on to her hamburger, Aleta darted across the street and warily approached the man, flicking cards into the brick wall across from him. A dark alley at night was the _last_ place she wanted to be with a person like that.

"Hisoka… what are you doing here?"

"Ah ah ah, don't try and play coy. I'm a natural liar you know. And I know you know some things. Though I was surprised to find out you were from here of all places. So tell me little cherry, what have you been hiding?"

"Cherry?"

"Why yes, I'd say it fits you quite well. Especially when your face turns that rather lovely shade."

Blushing seemed to be a part of her daily routine because Aleta covered her now flaring cheeks.

"W-whatever. Just… what do you mean by hiding?"

Hisoka laughed and produced a full hand of cards after crossing his arms.

"You knew about the Exam and what would happen. I could see it in your eyes. Everything you saw sent that spark of recognition. Even when Illumi revealed his true form you didn't show an ounce of surprise. And to top it off you know about nen. Am. I. Wrong?"

"I won't lie to you since it'd be pointless. But you're right. Why?"

"So interesting. I'd like to know a lot of things little cherry, and you are going to tell me."

Aleta shook her head.

"I can't tell you. There's a certain..." Aleta paused, thinking of the right word. "Quality, about knowing the things that normal people don't. If I told you even a little bit about what would happen in the future, the whole thing could just get messed up. Though, I will say this."

The painted man raised an eyebrow.

"I know about what you expect of Gon, and Chrollo. I even know of your connection to Illumi. You're gonna run into some stuff that will have an impact on everyone's lives, however, if I tell you anything, everything will fall apart. I mean, even if you killed me, everything meant to happen could go up in smoke! Yes, I do know you will be waiting for Gon at Heaven's Arena, but I cant tell you what _will _happen. If I did. He wouldn't grow stronger."

Aleta took a moment to look at the man before looking down.

"I guess, well, winter would come for your unripe apple, and it would never see its potential."

Hisoka looked genuinely interested.

"Oh, this is so exciting. Though I am patient, so I can wait. But it's so hard."

Aleta backed away as the man shuddered.

"Will you kill me?"

"Perhaps."

At that, she lowered her head.

"Though, I've decided not just yet. You could be useful little cherry." Hisoka purred.

"S-stop calling me that." Aleta said indignantly. _It's really cute,_ where the unspoken words.

Chuckling, Hisoka ran a hand through his hair and turned to walk away.

"I'll be seeing you soon."

Only when Aleta returned to Zushi did she feel something on her. It felt like… a card. To the confusion of the younger boy, she hastily reached into her bra and pulled out a Joker.

Red covered her face all over and if it were colder she was sure she'd be hot enough to emit steam.

* * *

The month until Gon and Killua arrived was more taxing than when Aleta's training first started.

She'd wake up, run, lift weights, this time more heavy than the last, meditate, work on her technique, learn how to read, then sleep. Zushi insisted he'd help out with her writing.

The language was still as complicated as quantum physics, but at least she was learning. The final week approached, and though she wasn't fluent, Aleta knew enough to write her letter. It was also the week Wing announced they would be participating in Heaven's Arena.

"Wow, really?" Zushi was clearly excited.

"Yes Zushi. In 3 days time. I expect greatness from both of you."

"Oh wow, Aleta did you hear that? We can test our skills against some of the toughest opponents out there! Let's show them what real students of Master Wing can do, right?"

She ruffled his brown hair.

"We sure will. However, I think I'm gonna need a hair cut before any of that happens."

On the final day, Aleta readied herself to meet Gon and Killua. She'd act natural, and stay in the background. She would let Zushi have his moments, and stay quiet for the most part, only giving the letter after Gon defeated Hisoka.

Then the day of her first match happened. Hair reduced to merely an inch, she felt lighter. Even with the hundreds upon thousands of people, she felt a bit more of confidence seeing as how their eyes would be on Gon.

Her opponent was an ape of a man. His skin was covered by hair, whilst that atop his head looked greasy. A strong stench of must came off him in waves. If anything he would probably make her pass out from his smell alone. The referee looked uncomfortable as well.

"Begin!"

Aleta didn't even give him a chance to taunt, she leaped forward, and kicked him directly in the face. He dropped out of the ring like a thrown sack of potatoes.

The referee must have been congratulating her as he handed a ticket to the fiftieth floor. It was hard to hear with all the deafening roars everywhere. Looking over, she saw Zushi was finished as well as Killua. The announcer put all of their images on the large screen overhead.

After exiting the stage, Zushi gave her a high five.

"Just one hit! That' was amazing! Though you should have gotten a stronger opponent. That guy didn't even look like a match for a paper bag."

"You made it to the 50th floor didn't you? We'll both be getting stronger opponents."

"Not by much." The pair turned to the sight of Gon and Killua.

"Hey! You're that girl from the Exam! Aleta." Gon jogged up to her and offered his hand. "Congratulations."

Nervously, she accepted. "S-same to you."

Killua eyed her curiously.

"Oh, almost didn't recognize you without all the hair. Your chest is pretty small, but at least it's big enough for me to tell if you're a man or not."

Irritation snapped at the back of her mind.

"Hey! Don't make fun of Aleta." Zushi called in her defense.

"You're the kid we saw earlier, when registering." Gon pointed out.

"Osu! Me and Aleta entered together."

"We should all go and collect our winnings now." Aleta suggested. "The elevator up is over there."

"Osu!"

The three boys chatted away as the attendant explained the workings of Heaven's Arena. Being the polite person she was, Aleta stood within her line of vision and pretended to be interested. As they disembarked, she gave the woman an apologetic shrug, then headed to where she spotted Wing to be.

Due to his age, Wing had to register Zushi, though as an adult, Aleta could register on her own. Wing looked to her and she shook her head, her expression serious. She couldn't interfere much, and he understood. He motioned for her to take her leave.

After collecting her money, she walked to Zushi.

"I'm gonna go on ahead. Have fun alright?"

"Osu!" he said with a smile.

Smiling in return, she waved and went to the locker room to wait. Some of them men leered at her, but she ignored them and settled to exist in a corner. The Amori brothers would be there, and they didn't need to know she was.

Though it was obvious when the trio of boys entered because Killua was the loudest.

Using zetsu, she slinked out of the room unnoticed by the boys. It hurt to abandon Zushi, but she had no choice at this point.

This time her opponent was a lean, dark skinned man wearing shorts and bandages on his legs, feet, and hands. He bounced on one foot then threw some punches, riling the crowd and sending the announcer into frenzy. Showing off wasn't exactly Aleta's forte and she settled for her usual stance.

She'd have to make this quick. The more scarce she made herself, the better the story could play out. Afterwards Aleta would have to catch Wing before Zushi's fight ended. He'd understand if she shed a little light on her situation.

"Begin!" the referee yelled.

Her opponent was fast. Immediately she had to duck from the flying kick meant for her face. The other fighter was too reckless though. All Aleta had to do was grab him by his foot and slam him to the ground. One strong right to the face knocked a few of his teeth out.

He wasn't giving up just yet.

The man roared and charged, his arms a flurry of rapid punches. The girl merely side stepped and elbowed him to the back of his neck, sending him down again. Yet it wasn't enough to knock him out.

The fight between Hanzo and Gon resurfaced as she decided her next move. Dodging was a breeze, though all she needed was an opening. He paused his movements to throw a strong punch. There. As though stepping down, Aleta kicked his knee, snapping his leg out of place.

He howled in pain and hit the ground rolling.

"I-I give! I give!" he yelled.

"Winner! Aleta!"

Said winner pushed the cheering to the back of her mind as she took her ticket and ran to where Wing would be.

Wing looked over to her, surprised, as she sat down next to him.

"Finished already? Great, how did it go?"

"Fine. Though, about tonight. Something is going to happen."

As Wing studied her face, he could see she was serious once more.

"What is it?"

"I can't tell you. But after it does, I can't get involved. At all. Would it be alright if I stayed here? I still have enough energy for more matches. I can get to the 100's. Though I won't advance further than that. A lot of things are going to happen actually, and the more I stay out of it, the better."

"I see. Letting nature run its course. I suppose that gift of yours is a bit of a curse as well."

"Pretty much."

Killua knocked Zushi down once more, and it looked as though he was preparing to use hatsu. At the last second, Aleta covered her ears and let the shockwaves pass. Maybe it was possible for Wing to have a voice as strong as Ubogin's.

Suddenly realizing what happened, Wing turned to Aleta who smiled meekly.

"It's time for me to take my leave. With your permission."

Wing sighed. "Alright. "

"I'll let you know what my nen ability is when I return. I'll only be gone until Gon and Killua are about to leave."

"I'm assuming only you know when that will be."

Aleta went silent but gave a "what can you do?" sort of smile.

Wing's hand suddenly on her head surprised her.

"I won't interfere, just do as you need to do. I'll tell Zushi you decided to study on your own for a little while."

The blonde smiled and stood. "Osu!"

With that, she hurried to cash in her winnings then make a mad dash to Wing's place. There'd be no point in trying to stay away from everyone when her things were still there.


	14. Chapter 14

A/N: I swear it took me forever to get an idea of how Aleta's nen abilities would work. The whole point of her is to not be over powered, I like her weak to be honest. If you've seen Avatar, no not the James Cameron one, then this should all be clear to you. If not, I'll try to make things as clear as possible.

Not Strong Enough

Chapter 14

It took fifteen opponents, but Aleta made it to the hundreds. Now would have been a good time to go shower. She was sweaty, and her rather proficient body hair had grown to its max. Along the way, mindful of the time since she had a match, Aleta stopped to grab a random assortment of products for herself. The money she made already was enough for a small shopping trip. Food would come after she won her first hundreds match.

Feeling spoiled, she allowed herself a thirty minute shower. Legs and the rest of her free from any hair, Aleta felt great. The cool covers of the bed felt amazing on her steamy skin. It was no wonder Hisoka walked around naked all the time, it felt royal.

Though she couldn't focus on that right now. She had to work on that letter. She'd keep it preserved with a nen seal, then hand it to Gon in about three months time. With the money she earned, she'd save up and only spend on food, water, and whatever she needed. Wing and Zushi were wonderful, but she couldn't be with them forever.

There was already a piece of paper and a pen inside the main desk by the large window. Taking them out, Aleta began to write.

_Dear Kite…_

_Well, I shouldn't say dear since you don't even know me. But if you're reading this that means Gon has successfully completed Greed Island and found his way to you. Though by accident since he was originally heading for Ging. As you read this, please don't let Gon or Killua know what it says. They can't know, this information is for you and a limited number of others._

_You're planning to go to NGL right? Well stop. Contact Chairman Netero, and tell him to get Morel and Knov. The new species that washed up is that of a Chimera Ant. They will discover people, eat them, and eventually gain nen abilities. I managed to ward away a hunter who was going to go originally. He was going to be tortured, eaten, and eventually another would gain his nen power. _

_You would be killed as well. _

_If you don't heed this letter, Netero will die. Countless others will die. _

_Extinguish this threat before it can grow further. There will also be a special drug on NGL. The labs must be destroyed. I know you're a conjurer, so hopefully you'll get a destructive enough weapon to trash the lab facility. Oh, and when you go to NGL, remember to not wear anything made with newer materials._

_Aleta_

_P.S. Tell Killua not to worry about his family's wish granting secret._

The envelope was covered in markings after Aleta sealed it. That settled, the envelope was placed in her duffle bag until the day came to give it up.

* * *

The next day, a blonde head poked over its covers as the sun peeked over the horizon. The noise that often associated itself with active televisions stirred Aleta to waking up and looking over. It was her next match, set to take place at 10:00am today. A digital clock on the end table read 6:30am. Another thirty minutes passed as the girl got ready. With three hours left to spare, she combined ten training with exercise.

The crowd roared when she stepped in the square arena. She was to fight an older man. He was bald, but had enough graying facial hair to make up for it. His plain tank top and jogging pants gave no indication of his style either.

"Sodo! Sodo! Sodo!" the audience cheered. He must have been popular.

"Begin!"

Sodo made no move to attack, just stood with his hands behind his back. Aleta became cautious, circling him. He followed in response, his steps slow, and deliberate. The blonde closed the gap in a split second, ready to punch him in the throat. His hand flew to block. The attack was followed up by a kick, which he also blocked. Effortlessly he pushed her away, sending her airborne before landing neatly two yards away.

Trying a bit harder this time, Aleta dashed and unleashed a series of punches and kicks. Sodo blocked, and avoided all of them.

If she were to win, Aleta had to keep her mind clear. Sodo was either trying to wear her out, or rile her up. She told Wing she wouldn't advance far, but going easy on everyone was proving to be a hassle.

"Going easy on me I see." Sodo spoke for the first time. "I only go all out if my opponent goes all out. Show me your strength. Or are is all that bulk meant to intimidate the big boys from messing with you."

"Fine." Aleta hissed.

The announcer had to slow down the footage several times due to the two combatants turning into blurs. The referee had skilled eyes and managed to point out each hit when it was landed. In the end, Aleta won with a TKO.

Sodo coughed up a small bit of blood as he smiled and laughed. "Now that's what I'm talking about little lady. Hope we can battle again another day."

Aleta looked back and down with a shrug, then disappeared to collect her money and await her next match. She'd take things slowly. Slow enough to build up cash, and not exceed the one hundred and ninety nine levels.

The days passed and Aleta could feel herself getting stronger. After the first month, she decided to try water divination by herself. The leaf moved around atop the water filled glass.

A manipulator.

How surprising to be in the same category as Illumi.

Thinking back to the Hunter exam, _something_ had happened. Perhaps that was some awkward form of divination itself since the ground, according to Gon, moved about. There was a high possibility that her nen ability had something to do with moving an object. Now to figure out how to manifest it.

Aleta did a handstand as she thought of every manipulator she could remember.

Each of them had an object of affection of some sort. If not, there was a certain form of contact to be made in order to activate their power. The only object Aleta really bothered over was her duffle bag, everything else relied on her fists.

Maybe she had to gain some sort of contact in order to manipulate. Pushing from her position, Aleta tumbled backwards and landed spread eagle on the king sized bed. The blood rushing from her head made her a bit dizzy.

Right, so maybe she needed a live guinea pig of sorts and a non living one. The arena was too risky, but she didn't want any poor sap in her room. It was evening time and her match for the day was finished, leaving her a whole night to do as she pleased. Noroco was nice for walking around, but she'd run through it so many times it was like being in a second home. A trip through wouldn't hurt. It was hot out, more than usual, so an ice cream cone to help her focus would probably do some good.

As she walked through the street light illuminated streets, enjoying the last bits of creamy vanilla on her tongue, Aleta spotted a little mouse, scuttling into an alley way. A mouse was living enough. Dirty, but living. There was a convenience store nearby, so she purchased a cheap, empty jar along with a stick of cheese.

Using a piece of iron torn from a gate, holes were poked in the lid. The alley was next to a small restaurant. She made to make sure to avoid eating there because no doubt it was probably infested.

Spotting the same small mouse, she snatched it up and placed it in the jar.

Back in her private room, she popped a small bit of cheese into the jar and closed the lid once more. The mouse scurried in circles. It was like a human, in an obscure way. You snatch it up from its family and home, it panics until it gives itself a heart attack or succumbs to its capturer.

It wasn't as smart as a human, but that was to be expected.

Aleta watched on in silence. Still thinking of what her ability would stem from. Based off the other manipulators, she felt a closer connection to Shalnark, the Spider. His personality was so close to her own. In terms of entertainment rather. The mindless killing was a trait she'd never pick up on. There was also Baise and Squala. Both used things in a more intimate sense. Squala controlled dogs, and cared for them. Baise made out with everyone.

"_Little cherry."_

She ended up giggling like mad at the thought of kissing Hisoka and making him a love slave. Then again he'd probably end up reversing it back to her.

The mouse had stopped running and was now sniffing the cheese. It was kind of cute.

"But you're just a dumb mouse aren't you. You don't know any better, right?"

It didn't respond.

"I don't want to kill you, but you're sort of my hostage until I figure out just what the hell I'm doing. I'm gonna call you… well, Mousy sucks. You'll be Death Ripper. Death Ripper my little white demon mouse."

Death Ripper ate the cheese.

Curious, Aleta opened the lid and poked Death Ripper, emitting a bit of her aura through her finger.

The mouse, through instinct, tried to run. Though it was obvious her nen did nothing. That's right. Conditions. If it were able to understand her, she could create conditions to which her hatsu could act on. The more risky, the better the outcome.

Lid shut tight, Death Ripper had been left to his own devices again. There were still other things to manipulate, but people were so tantalizing. Thinking back once more to the exam, the dirt had shifted because she was scared, and focused aura to a certain part of her. Could that be applied to other things?

But what good was moving things around at random?

Aside from a rather humorous situation of tripping her enemy, Aleta couldn't do much with the ground.

Though when working with an untrained animal, it was a bit complicated in terms of communication. Too bad she didn't have Geass powers. All the needed was eye contact and someone to listen. That was right… the Geass could only be used once per person. No- she wouldn't do it.

In this world the powerful just came back over and over. Unless they were meant to die. Having a onetime only power would only really work for someone like Kurapika. And even then he used his chains twice on Ubogin.

10:00pm

It was getting late, and Death Ripper just went to sleep. The thought still remained open for something fiction related. The glass of water had evaporated slowly. Water. Water bending.

Now that was something that had risks. All forms did. And she just so happened to be studying a martial art. There, it made sense. Though, each form of bending seemed to have its own martial art. And each art had its own conditions through positions and movements. Based off her current discipline, she was at the same status as an earth bender. Suddenly excited, Aleta slapped on her shoes and bolted out the door and to the outside again.

* * *

The air was still humid when Aleta made it out. The convenience store worker was surprised to see her again, but this time she bought two more larger jars before bolting back to her room.

Death Ripper paid her no mind as she happily skipped in circles and sang about her jar of dirt and the other of rocks.

She may not get everything down tonight, but she'd work well on it until the next day was done.


	15. Chapter 15

A/N:If you're reading this for the first time then ignore this. If you're reading for the second, take note that I added an extra segment towards the end for plot purposes. starting at "Oh. Before that, what do you think about mice?"

Not Strong Enough

Chapter 15

After her first match, Aleta had opted to buy a large, clear container for Death Ripper. It was a wide pan, deep enough for Death Ripper to stand up completely. The lid and sides were punctured with many holes, and Aleta arranged a grassy habitat with a plastic lid converted as a water pan. He got to eat whatever bits of food Aleta felt like giving. Practicing with small bits of earth wasn't helping much, so she'd need to be outside. Which meant leaving her alley mouse turned pet for long amounts of time.

Noroco had plenty of empty space once one reached the edge of the city. Picking out an area behind an abandoned building, there was a cubbyhole of land with a large area of dirt and patches of stone. Cement from years ago had degraded to the point of leaving rusty wires exposed all around the area. The several foot deep patch of land would be her decided training ground.

First, she would work on conditions and the associated reactions. As an absolute basic, she punched into the ground with an aura coated fist. Her initial plan was to let the stone rise. Simple.

Unfortunately she just ended up punching the rock, cracking it.

Pondering for several moments, Aleta changed her position to the point where she stood perfectly. Legs spread apart, back straight, and feet forward.

Shouting, she tried again, focusing her aura into the ground, visualizing the rock lifting into the air several feet.

The stone raised up to her knee before falling back to the ground. It wasn't much, but it was proof that she was actually getting somewhere.

Day after day she trained in that hole in the ground, progressing inch by inch. Then making even larger accomplishments. It was basically cheating since she knew the principals of nen. Actually learning how to do things became natural when all she had to do was think of them. The time for Gon and Killua was nearing, and she had to deliver her message soon. She monitored their progress through the TV, making sure she was on schedule.

Death Ripper had grown fat, lazing around unless being washed. Just like he had grown, Aleta's hair had grown also. Blonde strands tickled her shoulders irritatingly. Upon the final day, she made her way to Wings place with the sealed letter.

Gon and Killua stood across from Wing and Zushi in the sunset, receiving their motivational speech.

"Osu!" they said before bowing. Just as they turned, Aleta smiled and waved.

"Yeah, Osu."

"Aleta! You just disappeared!" Gon said.

"I had some things to do. Gon, I want you to take this." She said as she handed him the letter.

"A letter?"

"Whatever you do, don't open it. It's for a dear friend of yours. Just as you gave that badge to Hisoka, you have to deliver this to someone as well. To Kite."

Gon's eyes widened.

"You know him?"

"Yes and no. But I know you'll meet with him in the future. Never lose this letter, promise me."

"Osu! I promise."

"Wait a second." Killua butt in. "Gon, you can't go making promises to random people all the time. You barely know this lady, and she'd weird."

"Killua." Aleta said softly.

The pale haired boy turned to her skeptically. "Yeah?"

Aleta held out her hand and he looked down. It was a single chocolate robot.

"Stop being such a sour brat. Someone who likes sweets so much should be sweet."

"Ok Gon, let's make sure that Kite guy get's that letter!"

The two argued into the night and halfway said their goodbyes as the discussion of chocolate and being nice went off. Aleta watched them until they were out of sight before turning back to the remaining two.

Zushi pouted a bit, probably from what Wing had said when the blonde wasn't paying attention. However, his puckered out lip didn't disappear when Aleta made it up the stairs.

"You left without saying anything to me."

Oh. That.

"I'm sorry. I had to."

"But we had so much fun! You missed out on a lot. But just you wait, I'm gonna show you some cool stuff, and you'll wish you _hadn't_ stayed in the Arena. Osu!"

Not exactly caring what the boy thought of it, Aleta pulled Zushi into a warm embrace. "I'm glad to see you've gotten stronger. But don't think because I was gone I didn't miss you."

Zushi felt as though he wanted to protest, but he didn't, instead hugging her back.

Once they let go, Wing spoke up.

"Aleta, I need to talk to you, privately." The look on Zushi's face was obvious and the older man addressed it. "Don't worry Zushi she won't disappear so soon again."

It was a small comfort, but the boy complied.

The Sun was gone, and street lights below began to light up.

"You still have it, the string. Any ordinary thread and the material probably would have degraded by now."

It was true. The blue nen enhanced cloth was still attached to her pinky like a tattoo.

"I can tell you've done a lot. While away from us."

A street light flickered.

"I did. I'm a manipulator. I can do a little thing I call bending." The girl's tone wasn't enthusiastic in the slightest."I was glad I could watch Gon, Zushi, and Killua from a distance. I would have loved to help them with their nen, but it wasn't time yet. They have to learn their abilities on their own."

Wing hummed.

"Will you stay?"

Some man down the street shouted and was shouted back at. When it died down, Aleta answered.

"I will, but I know I'll have to leave some day. If everything goes according to the way they were meant to, I'll be closer to home. But for now, I have to wait."

The man laughed. "You know, when I first found you, you told me you needed help to survive. And now look, you're technically a pro hunter and I'm sure you're quite wealthy from all that prize money. So why stay?"

Yes, why should she stay?

"Because…You're… you. And Zushi is Zushi. I can't really explain it. Though, I want to see Zushi grow. He's sort of turned into someone beyond a friend, little brother, or even a son. And You… you're like a mentor and father."

"And Heaven's Arena?"

"I suppose it's a good way of paying you back in full for taking care of me. I'm sure you haven't repaired that crack in the wall from when you demonstrated either."

Wing looked surprised and it was Aleta's turn to laugh.

"I see. Well, let's go inside then. I'm sure you and Zushi have another reunion to catch up on."

"Oh. Before that, what do you think about mice?"

"Master Wing! Aleta!" Zushi called from inside the living room.

The pair turned as Zushi emerged from the inside, pointing behind him.

"There's a box that I've never seen before. I felt something weird coming from it, and it's sealed with nen!"

"Nen?" Wing turned toward the blonde, she shrugged in response. "Er, where is it?"

"On the living room table. But, it has a note on it with Aleta's name." Zushi responded as he side stepped out of Wing's way.

Aleta followed, curious as to what it could be, and who it could be from. Inside the living room, there was indeed a black box with a red ribbon tied neatly in a bow. Picking up the note attached, Aleta read.

_"This is a small gift for you, little cherry." _The blonde's eyebrows rose at the nickname and the heart that followed. Pouring nen into the box, she slid the ribbon off and opened it.

Inside was a black phone that had been left on. A charging kit was beside it, and on screen was the graphic of a joker card. Aside from all the icons for applications, a small sticky tab caught her attention.

"It's a phone." Zushi said from behind her. Wing remained silent. Poking the sticky tab icon with her finger, it opened and a message appeared. Her reading skills were still sloppy, so Aleta kindly asked Wing to read it for her.

"Eh, let's see..." he began. "Keep this phone on at all times, spade. I have a special use for you yet. You will share that ability with me. Do not think about running away, spade. If you try throwing away or destroying this phone, I will know. It was made especially for you. Until next time, little cherry. Heart."

Aleta held her palm to her forehead as she absorbed the information. The situation was getting out of control, and she had to do something about it.

"Aleta. What's going on?" Zushi asked.

Looking to the two others, she bit her lip. At this point she had no idea what Wing and Zushi were going to be doing until Gon was in the hospital. It wasn't as though she could jeopardize their situation much, but at the same time they do say swatting a fly in the past could upset the balance of the future. Wing already knew, but he was an adult who could handle what she said. She trusted Zushi's judgement and understanding, but how would he react if he found out she knew what would happen all this time?

Wing shook his head and placed a hand on the young boy's shoulder.

"It's something very important, but it's Aleta's business. There are some things others are not meant to know. But, I will ask, who is it you're dealing with Aleta?"

"I... it's someone I met during the exam. Something is about to come up, and I may or may not have to leave again. This person, he's. Well. He's someone to be wary of. But his main business is with me."

"I see." Wing said quietly.

"Hey, wait! You just got back. Why would you leave again?"

Aleta smiled and gently placed her hand atop Zushi's head at his concern.

"It'll be alright. I'm sorry I keep popping in and out, but this time it's a maybe. We can still train until the time comes."

"Right." Wing smiled. "Now what were you saying about mice?"

* * *

A/N: Bam. I wrote myself into a brick wall. If anyone's got any ideas then I'm willing to listen. Updates for this may be a bit slow, but my poll decides how fast something will get updated. More people like my one shots and drabbles so until I can really get this fic going, it'll be slower than expected. It's been my main point for things to lean on the dangerous side for Aleta, so.. yeah, any ideas?

Also, for the message, Hisoka speaks with card suites that change depending on his tone in the manga. For example, when he says something teasingly or erotically, he uses hearts. I figured I'd add that in whenever he sends texts too.


	16. Chapter 16

A/N: This is just a small update to alert everyone that I added an extra segment to the last chapter. Details are in the author's note. For those waiting on my one shots, they're coming. I want to try re-reading or watching the York New arc to get a better feel for some characters. Or possibly re-read Chimera Ants since my memory is a bit fuzzy on the current status of the Troupe.

I didn't want to make an author's note only chapter since I know _someone_ would throw a fit over it, so here's this.

Not Strong Enough

Chapter 16

Later that night, Aleta lay upon the recently bought futon Wing got her. Apparently while she was in the Arena, he figured it would be a nice change from how she previously slept. Death Ripper was asleep in his container atop a table not too far away.

In her hand was the phone Hisoka gave her. It was like any other modern, touch screen phone. After poking around, she found a single contact which belonged to Hisoka. There wasn't much else, though there were some card games available. The phone's calendar had September 1st marked in red. The auction time.

At that, Aleta couldn't help but to wonder what Hisoka had in store for her. If push came to shove, she'd have to give out details of the future. She was thankful that was all he wanted. If he wanted to fight her she'd be in deep trouble and would probably have to make a break for Whale Island. At least there, she would be able to lay low. Very low.

Sighing, she rolled onto her stomach as she stared at Hisoka's contact information. How would he react if she called him, or sent him a message? There had to be a reason for him to leave it there. If he wanted, he could had just left her in the dark and even called from a pay phone.

Quiet creaking and the sound of padding feet sent her to seek out the source. Zushi, slightly masked by the darkness of the room, entered, holding a pillow and wearing pajamas.

"Hey, what are you doing up?" Aleta said as she sat up properly.

The boy shrugged and quietly moved her way, sitting beside her. She lifted the blanked covering her from the waist down and he moved inside. After placing the pillow next to hers, he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled closer.

"I had a nightmare. It was about you. I don't want you to go anywhere." He whispered.

Aleta was slightly taken aback.

"A nightmare? What was it about? Do you remember?"

Zushi nodded.

"That clown guy who Gon fought. He was there. And you were too."

The blonde's heart skipped a beat. Sure Hisoka could be intimidating, but it was a mystery how Zushi of all people connected him to her. Morbid curiosity got the better of her and Aleta began to gently stroke Zushi's chestnut hair.

"Oh? What happened after that?"

"He…" Zushi placed his head against Aleta's chest, making his voice slightly muffled. "You two were in some abandoned building. There were other people there, but they were more like shadows. You two were arguing about something, and he killed you. But, he didn't just kill you. It was scary. The shadows were hurting you too."

Aleta became worried. People just don't have dreams like that for no explainable reason. Something was going to happen. Something unpredictable, which was highly not in Aleta's favor.

"Oh. Well, was there anything else?" she asked wearily.

Zushi pulled her closer then shook his head.

"I don't want to talk about it. It got too scary."

Aleta prompted Zushi to move up so his head could rest on his pillow. Smiling, she held him close and whispered.

"It was just a dream. You're worried about me leaving so much, and it's understandable. But don't get too worked up on it, alright? Even if I do leave, I'll be alright. Alright?"

Just as Zushi was about to protest, Aleta placed her lips on his cheek and blew. The boy laughed quietly and pushed away to wipe his cheek.

"Come on, let's both get some sleep."

Smiling, Zushi hugged her once more.

"Okay."


	17. Chapter 17

A/N: Alright, I think I've gotten my groove back. I know most of you were looking forward to Stomping Ground but that will need a bit more wait. In any case, I felt I should start writing and write as much as possible. I've also decided to take the risk of deviating from canon. Any inconsistencies are all my fault. Unlike video games, some plot details may slip by and I may forget who's who and what's what. But I'm positive if you asked me anything about Kingdom Hearts I could tell you everyone's name, Nobody, and special ability right off the bat.

For those who don't know, I added to and fixed a few errors of the previous chapters. Namely Aleta's take on Hisoka vs Kurapika. I mean come on, why didn't anyone tell me about that?

Not Strong Enough

Chapter 17

Aleta eyed the phone like it was a snake on a daily basis. Deciding it was best to keep it close, she'd check it when working out, training, eating, and using it as a nightlight when sleeping. Even meditation was a tad bit harder with the thing constantly on her mind. Hisoka had to be in York New by now, and the underground auction was approaching. With that thought in mind Kurapika should be applying for work as a Nostrade bodyguard. The only thing really keeping her mind off things to come had to be Zushi and improving her nen technique. Compared to the others, she still needed to really get the basics down. Throwing rocks at the enemy wouldn't be good enough. She had to really work with what she had. Though, with earth came other minerals. Maybe she could even manipulate diamond! Well, perhaps not diamond, but it was a possibility. There were always metals, and minerals in compounds. Too bad Science was one of her worst subjects or else this would be much easier to understand.

The glaring sun beat down on her head as Aleta passed the time with manipulating a formation of rocks to rotate mid air in a circle by waving her hand and wrist. After long hours of practice her ability became easier to control. After all, there could be a situation where her arms and legs would be tied up and there would be no way to really move. Perhaps with a bit more practice she could move the earth just by coming into contact with it. If that turned out to really be the case, then a jar or bag of emergency dirt would come in handy.

That hole in the ground had basically become her third home since she spent so much time there. Wing approved, however Zushi still protested. Granted, with the hundreds of thousands she collected at the Arena, she could probably buy a small mountain to live in.

Deciding to get creative, Aleta began moving her hand in different patterns to change up how the earth floated about. The pieces were only the size of her fist, but after thinking and willing them smaller, they broke apart until large gum ball sized.

"I wonder..." she mumbled.

The pieces shot off immediately into the remains of a cement wall, leaving a perfectly dotted circle of craters. It took all but a few seconds for Aleta to realize what happened and rejoice. She could make super bullets now! However, if she could fire off smaller projectiles, then that left a rather large window open for larger ammo.

Taking a deep breath, she scouted a piece of rock about the size of a tire and took a stance. Punching down on the earth around it, the large thing rose, covered by her aura. Concentrating, she went over her form, letting the rock split into segments about the size of her head.

Said segments hovered in a neat line before being shot off into an undisturbed wall. Like canons, they pierced the thick cement completely, leaving what was a slab of cement nothing more than rubble. Proud of herself, Aleta jumped in the air and cheered.

Hours passed and she practice undisturbed. From building formations to weapons then armor, Aleta was having a blast practicing. The only downside was that she was getting tired very quickly. Biscuit could have whipped her into shape. Then again Wing could teach her as well since he would be teaching Zushi as well. But would it have been fair? He was a beginner after all, and Aleta knew almost all there was to know. The only issue was acting on it. She still couldn't use Kou, or most of the advanced stuff. Even with a Hunter license, there still might be a problem trying to find info on nen. Plopping down on a patch of grass, the blonde pulled out the cell phone resting safely in an inner breast pocket and looked at the screen. These things really had terrible battery, but it was enough if you plain didn't use it. Killua could probably keep his charged any time. The sun was setting in the sky, making the city much cooler. Hisoka's name stood plainly on the screen.

It wasn't as though she was looking forward to a call from him, but it would have really helped the suspense. With that in mind, it was best that she headed back to Wing. The more time she spent with them, the less likely the phone would get to her.


	18. Chapter 18

A/N: Made a few changes here and there. Mainly typos.

Not Strong Enough

Chapter 18

The earth was soft from a late night rain. The sun apparently didn't feel the need to send down its full beams of fury since it was nearly brisk. Aleta's training spot was slightly slick, and the normally dry land mushed under her feet. It was a good a time as any to try something new. Moving rocks was great and all, but there had to be more to it.

Squatting down, Aleta observed the damp dirt with interest. Mud could be an impractical defense if she wanted to dirty her opponents clothes and piss them off. Today she had do practice for real. After going over everything she managed to pull yesterday, she learned that taking a "perfect stance" wasn't necessary at all. It was the way she used her hatsu that made a difference. Metals were still on her priority list, but this would be an interesting challenge to overcome. Yet at the same time, it wouldn't have hurt to go over some basic exercises.

The water mingling with the dirt made for a small complication. Eyes closed, Aleta tried to concentrate on lifting and moving the earth into the circular formation she achieved yesterday. Though when she opened her eyes, the formation collapsed as she couldn't believe what she saw. With eyes open this time, she attempted to re-create the scene.

Clumps of dry dirt and blobs of water hovered slowly in the air in a circle. Aleta held this formation as she watched on curiously. How was the water even moving? She had to have some sort of contact with it right? The earth at least she touched at some point. Realization made, a whole new window of opportunity formed. Water was in the air, of course! Now the next step was figuring out how she was controlling it.

This place had become a bit special as of late, and she did spent a lot of time training so no doubt her nen could effect the area. Hisoka's number on the phone was simply a reminder that she probably had a limited time before something happened, and now was the time to at least come up with as many ways as possible to defend herself. So, after finding the driest part of land, she sat and meditated for an answer, all the while keeping her circle of water and dirt abound.A thought came to Aleta after what could have been several hours or a few minutes passed. It didn't matter since she had a plan. After standing once more, she waved her hand as though to feel the dampness in the air with nen.

It felt like touching a smooth wall. Aleta's eyes narrowed as she felt along that wall and began pulling it towards her, and wrapping it in a ball. So strange how it felt like she was actually molding clay. Keeping on, the invisible clay began to form into a small but growing ball of water. Carefully, she let the earth drop and pulled the small globs of water to her. Sweat formed on her brow as she managed to make a perfect sphere of water. Looking to the series of craters she formed the other day, Aleta shot off a series of water projectiles to the inside. Much to her surprise, she actually managed another perfect series of craters inside of it. Only these were cleaner. Today was going to be a long day because until she could create a decent defense and offense, she was not going "home".

* * *

Wing looked up in surprise when Aleta walked to the living room with wet hair, dirt on her clothes and skin, as well as cuts littering her fingers. It was nearly 2am, yet he was wide awake.

"I could really feel you going all out today. I take it you're really getting somewhere with your training?" Wing asked calmly.

Aleta nodded tiredly then broke out into an ecstatic grin.

"Yeah. I mean, I didn't know I could ever be this powerful. I know I have a _looong_ way to go, but I can see my own potential!"

Wing smiled as well and closed the book he was reading.

"I'm glad to hear that. But, there's something you should see."

Aleta watched as he produced a box similar to the first one Hisoka gave her, only it was red with a black ribbon. Wing nodded to her to open it, and Aleta cautiously obliged.

On the inside, there were two slips of paper. One looked like an air ship ticket, and the other was a small note. Wing took the note and began to read, quietly, aloud.

"Hello again my little cherry. You know about the auction, and it's starting soon, club. This is a ticket for York New. I'll be expecting you there by tomorrow at noon, so don't be late, heart." Wing placed the note on the small table and looked to Aleta.

The girl was slightly shaken and bit her lip.

"Do you have an explanation?" he asked.

"Yeah, kinda." Aleta stared at the fancy box for a moment before looking back to Wing. "The same guy from before sent it. And apparently he wants my help for something. I... I need to go. But-Zushi."

"Yes he will be disappointed. But you've disappeared enough times now and come back so I trust he'll have some faith in you."

"But Wing, I- there's still so much for you to teach me."

"You make it sound like you're never going to come back."

Aleta was taken aback.

"I guess so. I don't want to go, but I have to. And staying here will put you and Zushi in danger."

"A dangerous crowd huh? Well, perhaps that goes for everyone in this world." Wing smiled gently and placed a gentle hand on Aleta's shoulder. "We're not going anywhere. And you've become strong. Whatever it is, you can handle it. And I trust you'll be alright."

Sucking a deep breath to calm herself, Aleta squared her shoulders and nodded firmly. "Osu!"

"That's my student. Now, you should get packed and sleep fast. The ticket is a special kind and departs at 6:30am. I can get you a taxi for 6:00 so you're not late."

"Why is Aleta leaving again?" a small voice said from a distance.

Both young adults looked over to see Zushi biting his lip and poking his head in the doorway from his room.

"Zushi I-"

The boy cut her off by shaking his head.

"You're leaving us again aren't you. I-I don't want you to go."

Aleta sighed and walked to him, kneeling down.

"Zushi. I know you're scared." she said gently. "But this wont be forever. I've gotten stronger, much stronger. Remember when you first met me?"

He nodded slowly.

"See? No matter what happens I'll stay strong, and I'll come back even stronger."

"Do you promise?" he asked, his voice wavering.

Aleta held up the pinkie with the still attached string.

"I haven't broken my promise, and I wont break this one either. So in other words, I do."

Seemingly relieved, Zushi nearly knocked the older girl over as he embraced her tightly, ignoring the dirt and slight dampness of her body.

"Yeah, I'll miss you guys too." Aleta whispered.


	19. Chapter 19

A/N: I'm afraid to sleep because if I do I wont be able to write this anymore. Guess it's like when everything goes slow mo and you can suddenly aim better in games when you're on the verge of death. Do note I'm not typing this is Word because I tend to associate it with school and don't want to continue. If I can't come up with something when I wake up, this may be the last chapter for awhile. Please, please, _please_ point out any errors so I may fix them, and do give pointers or ideas as to where you'd like to see this go.

I made the small yet large change of the auction being tomorrow to just "soon." I left out a ton of events so now I'm going to just worm Aleta into the plot again.

Not Strong Enough

Chapter 19

Fortunately before leaving, Wing explained how exactly to go about using her ticket. Apparently it was the kind that celebrities and other VIP's used. You didn't even need to stand in line, just present it to any of the staff and, after authentication, you were guided to your own personal air ship.

Hisoka spared no expense when treating guests, much to Aleta's surprise. Now where he was going to meet her she had no clue. The flight was slow, but Aleta couldn't sleep.

Saying goodbye to Zushi and Death Ripper had been draining, but not enough to make her completely exhausted. The now much larger mouse even seemed sad for her to go. Hopefully the thing would be alive when or if she returned. The lifespan of a mouse wasn't exactly general knowledge to her.

The girl did manage to nod off for about an hour after packing, but her possessions were few. All she had were basically the same things she brought to the Hunter Exam along with two extra pairs of clothes and a small purse for change. Though the change was more like the equivalent of a lot of big bills. Her Hunter's license came with its own bank account, but it didn't hurt to have cash. It was a good thing she had gotten good in counting money and understood the currency system. Jenni worked the same way as Yen, so that made it much easier to understand.

Aleta sank back into the plus seating and tried to relax. There were still five more hours until she reached her destination, so it was best she took it easy as much as possible. Something told her she was going to be in for a rough time.

* * *

The air ship landed safely and Aleta was guided off and to a nice looking black car.

"If you please madam." the driver said politely after opening the door.

Well, if she was going off to her death at least she could go in style. Hesitantly, Aleta got inside and allowed the driver to take her to who knows where. The trip was quiet, but she could tell the outside was bursting with life. She had never been herself, but it was clear this place was just like New York. She could even spot a Twin Tower replica from her airship window. Neither she nor the driver spoke until they reached a fancy looking building. Another man was there waiting.

"You have arrived Madam. May I take your baggage?"

"I-er, no. This is all I got." Aleta said nervously, shaking her duffel bag. "And I'd rather keep it on me."

The man didn't seem bothered and nodded anyway. "As you wish Madam. If you please, right this way."

Aleta could feel stares from finer dressed women and men as she was escorted to an elevator and up to a rather high floor. The man opened the door and handed her a traditional key.

"Please enjoy your stay Madam."

Just as he turned to leave, Aleta called out. "H-hey wait!"

"Yes Madam?"

"I um..." the blonde fumbled around her bag until she could reach the small purse. "My mom always told me to leave tips, and I sorta forgot to tip the driver. But-uh, here."

The man looked on to the bill in surprise then offered a pleasant smile.

"Why thank you very much. I dearly appreciate it. Do have a good day."

"Y-you too!" Aleta said as she allowed the door to close and look around. The room reminded her very much of the one she had at the Hunter Association hotel. A large, fancy, king sized bed, old fashioned end table, a nice desk, velvet carpeting, cream walls, and a few more things that could best be described as "fancy hotel room stuff."

A sudden knock on the door startled her and she jumped. Using the peep hole, she nearly fell back at who was behind it. Without waiting for another moment, a "normal" looking Hisoka opened with a key he apparently had of his own and strolled in. Hair down, no make up, and wearing a nice suit, one could never suspect him of being a psycho killer. Though he could pass for an evil genius.

"H-hisoka!"

"Yes that is my name. And right on time my little cherry. I take it your flight was enjoyable?"

Aleta watched him carefully as he moved to sit at a table by the large window. He looked so classy it was distracting.

"Yeah. So, what are you-...? I mean- yeah, what do you want? And why did you give me the phone?"

The red head motioned her to take the seat across from him. Warily, Aleta complied and waited for him to answer.

"I'm going to use you, obviously. As you know the underground auctioning is approaching. I trust you know what happens?"

"I...do."

"And you also know about a certain red eyed boy who's after some of the items."

"I do."

Hisoka smirked and flicked a card from his sleeve.

"So I want you to tell me a few things..."

"But I already told you I can't!"

"Oh, but you can. Say, for example, about Chrollo." An Ace of Spades was placed before Aleta and Hisoka continued on. "I'm sure you're aware of how close he keeps certain members... like?"

Realizing he was prompting her to speak, Aleta racked her brain to remember.

"Pakunoda and.. um, the one with all the hair."

The man chuckled and placed down a Queen of Diamonds.

"It gets all the more, hmm, satisfying hearing you say it. You are going to tell me what I want to know, or else, I'll just kill you now. Or, I could take you to Feitan."

The blonde felt the color drain from her face at the thought. With a mock sympathetic pout, Hisoka placed down a rather macabre Joker .

"Aww, don't be like that. But, you know what I want. So, will you give it to me?"

It was either talk and mess things up, or die. Or get tortured horrifically then die. Grand.

Aleta looked to the one gazing at her through narrowed eyes and felt a chill run down her spine. Perhaps if she did her best to avoid Gon as much as possible this could work out.

"I-I will."

"Wonderful! Though I suggest not wondering too far. Illumi agreed to watch you for the time being so don't try to run away alright? I'm sure you know how he is about targets."

Composure lost, Aleta nearly fell out of her chair as she jumped back and stumbled to a stand. "What?!"


	20. Chapter 20

A/N: Ok, so I'll try to make this just a_ long _chapter and not update for awhile unless I can get back into writing. Gonna be going back to school soon and I wont have time to properly focus on this unless I can bring up the will to write during one of my breaks. And that's if I don't get a job. Remember, I do appreciate reviews and I thank everyone for reviewing the previous chapters.

Criticizing and pointing out flaws isn't flaming. I just want to get better and see where I went wrong. I found like 3 typos last chapter, really, it's ok to point them out because if possible I'd fix them immediately.

On another note, think of this chapter as mostly filler. I still need time to think about how I'm going to tortu- I mean what I'm going to do about Aleta.

EDIT: Fixed some typos and I'm very happy for all these reviews. I really do want to keep writing, but I kinda go on and off depending on my mood. But I'll do my best anyway.

Not Strong Enough

Chapter 20

Aleta couldn't begin to sleep no matter how tired she was that night, so instead she spent the time with the television on and decided to do sit ups on the floor. The news was as tedious as that of her own home world's but Johnny A.K.A.'s love life with some fashion designer provided to be an effective enough distraction. Yet at the same time, a quick flashback of what transpired just a few hours ago left her to stare blankly at a wall.

The sun was still high in the air providing a sunny atmosphere for the scene at hand. Hisoka didn't even answer her outburst as he stood and began to leave.

"There's no need to be upset. Just be a good girl."

Aleta didn't want to hear that and grabbed his arm just as he reached out to open the hotel door. Hisoka froze and when realizing what she had done, Aleta looked from her hand to his face. It was as though she was latching on to a hot piece of iron as she immediately let go and jumped back. Jumbled apologies and nonsensical bumbling escaped her lips as she waved her hands.

Hisoka only looked back at her with a devilish grin, forcing her to shut up and freeze in her tracks.

"You have a nice grip, little cherry." the man commented.

Panic flooded Aleta's mind, but it subsided as Hisoka exited with a chuckle.

Realizing that she was just laying on her back, staring at the ceiling, Aleta shook her head and sat up. Stars began to become one with the blinking city lights, and she had no idea what to do anymore. Illumi was somewhere watching her right now, and if anything he was just as bad as the clown. The thought of being pierced with needles was probably on the same level of unpleasant as being sliced with cards. It was futile, but Aleta looked around anyway to find some indication of where he could watch her. The windows were obvious, and he could easily spy on her from another building. There was also the possibility of hidden cameras. He could have even been in the room for all she knew!

Sniffling, Aleta took to pacing and wracking her brain for anything that could help her. Crying wouldn't help anything, but she was terrified all the same. Though, Illumi wouldn't care if she cried right? Another look around only showed the hotel room and the large windows and their beautiful view of the city.

Unable to hold it any longer, the girl stood where she was and bawled. Some may call her a baby, but that didn't matter. Nothing was going the right way and death was just taking a coffee break until it came time to whisk her away.

The news was replaced with a series of seemingly never ending commercials as Aleta finally calmed down. Somehow it helped as the fatigue caught up with her. Not even bothering to change, she simply removed her shoes and lay down. Sleep took over rather quickly as her head rested on the plush pillow, not even bothered by sleeping on top of the bed.

* * *

Aleta awoke to the sounds of some sort of music playing and relative darkness.

Blinking a few times, she could make out the digital clock sitting on the end table reading 6:57am. The television had been left on, and it looked as though she had just missed a movie since what looked like credits were scrolling across the screen.

She yawned and stretched, allowing her mind to catch up with the world. Remembering yesterday, Aleta let out an annoyed grumble. Illumi was watching her, somewhere, and Hisoka was out doing his usual evil deeds most likely. Well, at least she had the confidence the assassin wouldn't try anything if she didn't do anything so she decided to grab a pair of clothes for the day and got ready.

One refreshing shower later, Aleta felt much better and figured staying in a fancy prison wasn't going to help in the slightest. Her white tank top hugged her comfortably along with her pair of what she dubbed as "lucky shorts". She was in a big city, so why not do some shopping? It would be nice to own more than what she had, though the only issue was mobility seeing as how her duffel bag was enough. Maybe a brief case like Leorio's could come in handy. Suddenly amused, Aleta laughed aloud and opened her purse which had plenty of cash inside. She was rich now, so why not spend recklessly?

Mind made up, Aleta placed the purse inside her pocket and grabbed the hotel key. Illumi was just going to have to watch because if she was going to die, she was going to have some fun before it happened.

* * *

The weather was perfect as Aleta stepped outside. The sun wasn't completely at it's peak so a nice breeze blew her still short hair and sent pleasant tingles to her scalp. A few early rising people looked at her curiously as she stretched again and giggled to herself.

First stop was any place that sold suitcases and luggage. Maybe she could get the kind that had wheels. Just big enough for the outfits she planned to buy. Or perhaps she could get the clothing first? That would have been a lot to carry. Curiously, she pulled out her phone and stared at the screen again. Nothing new, and there was no way she'd bother Hisoka. Laughing aloud once more, and startling a few bystanders, Aleta went back into the hotel and went right up to the front desk.

"Excuse me." she said.

The person at the front desk was facing away for some odd reason, yet when they turned around, Aleta blanched. Of all people, it had to be the single person asked to kill her if she did anything.

Illumi stared at her with those awfully emotionless obsidian orbs and Aleta wasn't sure if she whimpered or not.

"You were planning to go somewhere." he stated.

Aleta wasn't sure if it was a question or not but the sudden urge to defend herself kicked in.

"W-wait! I mean..." she toned her voice down despite there not being much of a crowd. "I mean I wasn't running away. I just wanted to get some stuff, and stuff, but I couldn't carry it all. I swear. Please don't kill me. I know you've been watching, but I-I'm not dumb enough to run away. Please don't kill me."

Illumi continued to stare. It was moments like these that made Aleta wish she had a little more charisma, bravery, and social experience. There was most likely an easy way out of this situation but she couldn't think of any.

"Look, Hisoka didn't tell me not to go out, just not to run away. Please? I mean..." Aleta felt as though she would regret this. "Did Hisoka tell you about my ability?"

Suddenly interested, or as much as his stone cold face would allow, Illumi tilted his head ever so slightly, making his hair drape slightly over his shoulder. It was a fight not to stare, but Aleta continued.

"I can tell you things no-one else knows. But, you have to let me go out. I'll even let you stick a needle in me so you can track me. You wont regret it and if you feel it's unsatisfactory, you.. you can-y-you can..kill me." The last few words became jumbled as Aleta murmured them but the message was clear. Her resolve was fading much faster than anticipated.

Illumi appeared to be in deep thought before eventually nodding.

"Alright, I will allow it."

"Um, but, I need an escort or somebody. I can't exactly drive and I need a place to put the stuff I want. That's why I came, uh, inside. And I kinda don't know my way around, at all."

The assassin eyed her in what Aleta could only translate as "Are you serious?" Putting on her best pleading smile, which was useless but it made her feel better, she waited for an answer. Though all she got were some pamphlets she could barely read. It was better than nothing, but it wouldn't have hurt for the man to at least play the role of a hotel assistant.

* * *

Fortunately, Aleta managed to hire someone to drive her around and keep all her baggage in a limo due to the only pamphlet she could really understand being the most expensive. Her possessions were still small compared to how people usually did shopping sprees. It felt nice so she splurged anyway, only buying a nice, ivory piece of luggage. Apparently someone called Madame Arlandria specialized in making clothes and accessories for Hunters, so though pricey, Aleta went with her brand for just about everything. It had been awhile since she wore earrings, but Aleta decided to get small pearls for her ears along with a new dress and even more white clothing. She wasn't aware when exactly it had become her "thing" but it fit well enough. Keeping in mind how sometimes it was best to wear something different, she got some cheap, or as cheap as Madame Arlandria's could get, casual wear. Even the new shoes she got felt better on her feet.

Clothed neatly packed in her luggage. Aleta neatly folded the bags as well and placed everything in the hotel room closet. Though upon opening it she yelped and stumbled back a few paces.

Fate was apparently having a field day with her and out came Illumi, acting as though nothing was wrong.

"I-I-I" Deep breaths. "I'm not going to ask how long you've been in there, but I'm not even surprised. To be honest it's just intimidating when people are hiding in your unopened closet."

Her words were brave, however the blonde was still on the verge of tears. Surprised, she was not. Scared, she was indeed. Black hair swished as Illumi took a slow look around the room before resting his dark eyes back on the girl's. She had regained what little composure she had left, which was crumbling, as she took a seat on the bed and held her hands together to suppress the trembling.

"You know why I'm here. So talk." Illumi said as he took a seat atop the desk that supported a notepad, phone, and a drawer that no doubt held a Bible.

"Alright, but don't jump to any conclusions until I finish." Aleta ignored the nagging at the back of her mind at how badly this would mess things up. "Ya see, I know the future, no official dates really, just things. And that's why Hisoka brought me, no, demanded I come here. I'm sure you wanted to know why I knew nen and how a rookie like me passed the Hunter exam on my first try so easily."

Illumi said nothing, just kept staring and at that point Aleta decided to look to the floor.

"If you don't believe me just ask me anything about your family. I could probably tell you. Even Alluka."

As though he had teleported, Illumi was immediately standing over her and looking down on Aleta, needles at the ready. Nowhere to really go, Aleta flinched and backed up against the wall until he head hit it with a small, but still painful, bump.

"Wait, wait, wait! I'm not done yet!" she held her hands out in defense. "Y-you, I mean I said you could only kill me if you were unsatisfied. And Hisoka said only if I try to run away. I'm not doing anything bad just don't kill me yet, please?"

"Speak." he commanded. Though he didn't move. After rubbing the forming bump on her head, Aleta nodded.

"Okay. So um, yeah I can tell you stuff within certain boundaries. But if it endangers the future then I have to keep quiet, but if you want I can tell you 1 thing about Killua. But just 1."

This seemed to please the man as he took a single step back and returned his needles to some place under the hotel uniform he was still wearing.

"Tell me, will Killua come back to his family?"

Aleta looked him directly in the eye and nodded firmly. "He will."

It wasn't the whole truth, but it was still close to 95%. Sure he came back, but he left pretty quickly after. Not like Aleta was going to give that away. Apparently satisfied, Illumi nodded and nonchalantly returned to the closet. The girl stared after him for a few seconds, unsure of how to react.

Maybe she could order some food for him.


	21. Chapter 21

A/N: Every time I see an OCxCanon story I hate this site a bit more. I want to read something new, and once Romance is filtered out, I'm barely left with anything.

W-what's this? OCs are a character now? My own fanfics may be filtered out but hell, now I can filter out 95% of the atrocities plaguing my favorite fandoms. Whoohoo!

Hisoka visits Aleta originally and said the auction was tomorrow, but I re-watched the entire York New arc and realized how much I missed out. So, yeah. I changed "Tomorrow" to "soon" in order to get some more drama in Aleta's life.

Not Strong Enough

Chapter 21

It was a fortunate thing that foods were the easiest thing to memorize when learning a new language. Though Aleta wasn't sure who the money would be charged to when ordering the hotel's catering. Probably Hisoka, but _oh well_ since he forced her to come out to this place anyway. Aleta was positive the assassin in her closet could survive over a week without food or sleep, but she didn't want to be on his bad side in any way. So she ordered two salads, one for Illumi, and a soup with bread. On a generous whim, she even asked for an extra sheet and pillow. True she could have gotten a cot, but not having the man in her sights made her feel better.

After her requested items had been brought with haste, Aleta nervously knocked on the closet door.

"I..uh. I got you a salad. And some sheets... and a pillow, ya know, for when you want to sleep. I know Silva pretty much made sure you were a robot but it can't hurt to eat. I'll just leave everything by the door."

There was no response and Aleta felt extremely awkward. Instead of dwelling on it, she sighed and turned on the television and ate. After finishing and placing the empty eating ware outside her door, Aleta decided it was as a good time as any to train. Though it'd also be a good time to have a wiki on hand. Without a nen expert, advancing further would be all guess work. Well, she did have one looking over her but he didn't exactly apply.

It was a good thing Aleta thought to acquire some containers of dirt and rocks. Instead of wasting her bottle of water, she chose to take the glass she drank from and fill it with tap water from the bathroom. Each item sat in its own spot on the floor as Aleta stood and stared. There was a high chance of her encountering some of the Troupe eventually so she needed to be ready.

At that, Aleta laughed humorlessly. Yeah right. Nobody was truly ready for the Phantom Troupe. Though perhaps she could work on her Ren. But then again it took even Gon and Killua a month to really work on theirs. No, she should just keep working on trying to control her power.

"Aaah this suuucks!" Aleta whined aloud.

* * *

Water swished back and forth as Aleta practiced her form. As it turned out, controlling both earth and water took a toll on her after awhile. It would be at least about two months for her to control both for more than an hour. Though water itself was easier to control. It felt more like molding a very loose clay while dirt tended to feel like it was going to fall apart unless she focused. Rocks on the other hand were an odd sensation. Even when not touching them, they felt jagged on her aura. She watched as the liquid flowed neatly to and from one hand to the other. Another odd sensation had to be how cool it felt. It was like touching pool water on a hot summer day. Cold, maybe freezing, but you got used to it easily after awhile. Earth felt warm all the time. A reckless part of her considered trying out fire, but that was out of the question for now. They say don't play with fire, and unlike Killua, she didn't endure all kinds of elemental torture.

Satisfied with her progress thus far, Aleta decided to try a little experiment.

Just like any hotel there was an ice machine. Taking the container provided by the hotel, she collected her ice and returned to the room. The single ice cube she picked up began to melt in her hand before getting too cold to hold. If she kept at it her palm might go partially numb. She savored the feeling, or as much as she could, then attempted to manipulate the cube in the same way she could water.

"Of course." she grumbled, dropping the cold thing back in the bucket and plopping down to stare at it. Nen didn't work the same way normal magical powers did, and even if there was a way to create ice needles she was most likely far from reaching it.

Aleta decided to amuse herself by picking up the water from her glass via nen and pouring it into the container of ice. When it all melted she could have more to work with. Until then she'd just mess around with her rocks and dirt.

Being one who simply manipulated things, it was much easier to get a good grip on the earth when actually touching it. It was an interesting sight making formations while just sitting on the ground and moving her hands around. Though nothing beat her hole in the ground. If push came to shove she could probably escape by digging underground so fast even Illumi couldn't catch her. But the thought of encountering anything with more than four legs along the way easily put a dent in that idea. Even when faced with death, she'd willingly go to it rather than be within a certain proximity to a spider.

The thought made her snicker.

At this rate she was going to have a purely dark sense of humor.

Looking over, she could see that Illumi took her up on her offer because the plate, sheet, and pillow were all gone. Aleta doubted he'd care if she got him dinner so she chose to spend the rest of her day training. After a late dinner and bath Aleta slept peacefully.

* * *

A shrill noise rang in her ears and roused Aleta awake. Reddened eyes sought to destroy the source at once, not even caring about the time.

After somehow getting a foot tangled in her sheets, Aleta felt the world go sideways as she stumbled to regain her balance. Tiredly, she located the noise maker and the blonde paled. It was the phone. It was beeping from either a text or a call. She nervously rushed to pick it up and saw that it was a text. Of course it was a text, it always had to be something involving reading. The phone's clock read 3:06am, and the text mentioned something about 4:00am. After piecing together what it could all mean, she only came up with the message of "Cherry you me meet at will pick up 4:00am." along with the random suites of cards here and there. Maybe he didn't know she couldn't read that well, or maybe he did and just wanted to mess with her.

Her sense of self preservation hadn't awoken with her and she knocked on the closet door.

"Illumi, I sorta need you to read something for me."

There was no answer for a good long while. The blonde carefully opened the door and peeked inside, only to find nothing there, not even the items she had given him. Aleta blinked for a few seconds and tried not to start drooling from the tiredness coming back. Right, so the only person she knew, or at least she had the idea, could read for her was gone. Well, the message did say something about being picked up, so perhaps it was better to get ready and see what happened.

Alert enough to walk without tipping over, she headed out and sure enough an old man came to greet her. They drove for a short while until he dropped her off at some abandoned apartment, though it wasn't as decrepit as the Spider hide out. Figuring it'd be best to not stand around, she went inside and used the flashlight on her phone to look around. No clowns in sight, just progressively creepier darkness. There was an opening in a smashed wall and she walked towards it.

Just as she emerged, there was an area that could pass for a cell. Sitting on a bench was Hisoka, smiling.

"So nice of you to come, and right on time."

"Right, so, Hisoka?"

"Yes?" he drawled.

"You know I can't read right?"

A soft breeze blew by, stirring up some dust.

"You can't read?" Hisoka said, looking on with disbelief.

"_Yeah_, unless it's something simple or something I've seen a lot before, I'm pretty much illiterate."

The red head was quiet for a long while until he inhaled, then exhaled slowly.

"You just keep giving me more and more surprises. I suppose I should keep that in mind."

Aleta scratched the back of her head and shrugged. "So, why'd you tell me to come here?"

Seemingly back to normal, Hisoka spoke. "As you know, the Troupe will gather and we will raid the auction. I know a certain blonde will also be interested. I want to strike up a deal with him."

"And you're asking me if it will work?"

"Precisely."

Thinking long and hard, Aleta bit her lip as she tried to remember what happened in as much detail as possible.

"Um, the deal does work."

"And will the others suspect anything?"

"They do. But, you should know they're wary of just about everyone all the time. I just don't get it, but you'll be in the clear as long as you act natural, I guess."

"Such an interesting ability you have. Now, I want you to tell me the abilities of each of the Spiders."

"I cant."

Hisoka pulled out a card. "Yes, you can."

"N-no I seriously cant. It's just that, there's another nen user who knows the future. Chrollo's gonna take her ability and use it on you. Just by me being here might change what it says. If I tell you, bad things might happen, mainly to you and Kurapika... and Gon."

"Oh? That's no fun at all. But, just to make things easier, Gon and Killua will be brought in to your hide out. When you see them, just act like you don't know them because Killua will do the same. Gon will recognize you, but he'll switch the act and say he recognized Shizuku."

"Interesting. Now, tell me this. Will I get my chance to fight Chrollo soon?"

"You will." she answered, and it wasn't even a half truth.

The man got that creepy look in his eye as he was no doubt thinking of something perverse.

"Look, I know you want me to be like, a crystal ball or whatever, but I'd rather not tell too much. Please?"

"But, if everyone got their way the world just would be the most boring place, now wouldn't it?"

Guess that was a no.

"Well next time, just call or something. Waking up at some weird morning hour isn't fun."

Hisoka chuckled, then stood. Just as he got close to Aleta, who backed herself against a wall, he pressed a hand against her cheek then let go, watching her skin go scarlet.

"You amuse me. Now come. Some of the Troupe are close, and it's best they don't discover you."

After the driver had returned, the girl was taken back to the hotel. Aleta tiredly trudged back into the building and spotted Illumi out of the corner of her eye pushing a trolley. Doing her best to ignore him, she took a look around the lobby. Though by doing so, she blinked in surprise when she saw a single dog walking by itself to an elevator. Something about that seemed... familiar.

Though it didn't matter much since Aleta flopped right back on her bed when she got back to her room.

All this stress was not healthy for the mind and body.

* * *

A/N: This may not be updated for awhile, just a warning.


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